Question

Slaves who worked the cotton plantations of the antebellum South usually lived in small wooden shacks and wore simple cotton clothing, but they often ate more calories per day than poor working people in the North. Which statement best explains this?
A.
Slaveholders provided housing and clothing, but the states provided the food.
B.
Slaveholders provided housing and clothing, but slaves grew their own food.
C.
Slaveholders wanted to keep costs low, but they grew plenty of food on their plantations.
D.
Slaveholders wanted to keep costs low, but they also needed to keep their slaves healthy.

Answer 1

D. Slaveholders wanted to keep costs low, but they also needed to keep their slaves healthy.

Explanation: Planters minimized cash outlay but provided regular food rations (and often access to provision grounds, livestock, hunting) because a healthy workforce was essential to maintain productivity. Poor northern laborers lacked those guaranteed rations or on-site food access, so they often ate fewer calories.