Question

What led Europeans to bring large numbers of African slaves to South Americaand the Caribbean in the seventeenth century?A.Europeans lacked the knowledge to successfully grow crops in the SouthernHemisphere.B.The Europeans hoped to establish the regions as major hubs of tradebetween Europe and Asia.C.Much of the native population who had provided forced labor for theEuropeans died from disease.D.The discovery of the Northwest Passage improved transportation betweenthe Old and New Worlds.

Answer 1

C. Much of the native population who had provided forced labor for the Europeans died from disease.

Explanation: European colonists established labor-intensive plantations (especially sugar) in the Caribbean and parts of South America. Indigenous peoples suffered catastrophic population decline from Old World diseases (and harsh labor), so colonists turned to the transatlantic slave trade to supply a large, durable labor force from Africa.