Question

Which statement best evaluates the economic impact of the cotton gin?
A. It caused the collapse of the Southern economic system because of high labor costs.
B. It led to increased tensions between Northern and Southern states over the expansion of slavery.
C. It allowed for more efficient processing of harvested cotton by enslaved people.
D. It made cotton production more profitable, leading to the growth of the plantation economy into new areas.

Answer 1

D. The cotton gin made cotton processing far more efficient and profitable, which fueled the expansion of the plantation economy into new southern and western areas.