Question
Slaves who worked the cotton plantations of the antebellum South usually lived in small wooden shacks and wore simple cotton clothing, but they often ate more calories per day than poor working people in the North. Which statement best explains this?
A.
Slaveholders provided housing and clothing, but slaves grew their own food.
B.
Slaveholders wanted to keep costs low, but they grew plenty of food on their plantations.
C.
Slaveholders provided housing and clothing, but the states provided the food.
D.
Slaveholders wanted to keep costs low, but they also needed to keep their slaves healthy.
A.
Slaveholders provided housing and clothing, but slaves grew their own food.
B.
Slaveholders wanted to keep costs low, but they grew plenty of food on their plantations.
C.
Slaveholders provided housing and clothing, but the states provided the food.
D.
Slaveholders wanted to keep costs low, but they also needed to keep their slaves healthy.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The statement that best explains why slaves on cotton plantations often ate more calories per day than poor working people in the North is:
**D. Slaveholders wanted to keep costs low, but they also needed to keep their slaves healthy.**
This option reflects the understanding that while slaveholders aimed to minimize expenditures, they also recognized the necessity of maintaining the health and productivity of their labor force. Ensuring that enslaved individuals received sufficient nutrition was critical to their value as workers on the plantations.
**D. Slaveholders wanted to keep costs low, but they also needed to keep their slaves healthy.**
This option reflects the understanding that while slaveholders aimed to minimize expenditures, they also recognized the necessity of maintaining the health and productivity of their labor force. Ensuring that enslaved individuals received sufficient nutrition was critical to their value as workers on the plantations.