Question

Why did freeing enslaved people hurt the Southern economy?


Because the war had driven many landowners bankrupt.


Because Union soldiers had destroyed many plantations.


Because most of the richest landowners were killed during the Civil War.


Because the freeing of enslaved people meant the landowners lost all their workers.

Answer 1

The statement "Because the freeing of enslaved people meant the landowners lost all their workers" is the primary reason why freeing enslaved people hurt the Southern economy.

Before the Civil War, the Southern economy was heavily reliant on slave labor for its agricultural output, particularly in cotton production. When enslaved individuals were freed, landowners lost their workforce, which significantly impacted agricultural productivity. Additionally, the transition to a wage labor system posed various challenges for landowners, who had to adapt to new labor dynamics while facing the already strained economic conditions due to the war.

While factors like destruction from the war and the deaths of wealthy landowners contributed to the South's economic struggles, the immediate loss of enslaved labor was the most direct and significant cause of economic hardship following emancipation.