Question
By the late 1700s, overfarming had depleted the land used to grow tobacco in the Southern US. The South faced an economic crisis, and the need for labor by enslaved people seemed likely to decrease. Around this time, the textile industry in England was booming. Demand for cotton, a crop that grows in the South, was extremely high. At the time, cotton was difficult to produce. Production was limited by how hard it was to remove seeds from cotton fibers by hand. This changed in 1793 with the invention of the cotton gin, a mechanized device that removed seeds quickly. Southern plantation owners rushed to transition from tobacco production to cotton production, rebuilding the Southern economy and reinforcing the demand for labor by enslaved people.
Which of the following best describes the relationship between the cotton gin and slavery in the South?
A
The invention of the cotton gin gave enslaved people the opportunity to learn technical skills.
B
The invention of the cotton gin slowly put slave owners out of business.
C
The invention of the cotton gin renewed demand for labor by enslaved people.
D
The invention of the cotton gin sped up the abolition of slavery.
Which of the following best describes the relationship between the cotton gin and slavery in the South?
A
The invention of the cotton gin gave enslaved people the opportunity to learn technical skills.
B
The invention of the cotton gin slowly put slave owners out of business.
C
The invention of the cotton gin renewed demand for labor by enslaved people.
D
The invention of the cotton gin sped up the abolition of slavery.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
C
The invention of the cotton gin renewed demand for labor by enslaved people.
The invention of the cotton gin renewed demand for labor by enslaved people.