Question

Which excerpt from the passage best states the authors’ claim?

"Why were the English the first to build factories to mill cloth?"
"Because of the wealth they gained, the trade connections they made, and the banking systems they developed in the slave and sugar trade."
"Indeed, the cheap cloth from the factories was used to clothe the slaves."
"English factories, you might say, were built, run, and paid for by sugar."

Answer 1

"English factories, you might say, were built, run, and paid for by sugar."

This sentence most directly states the authors' main claim that the sugar (and slave) trade financed and enabled the development of English factories.