Which of the following best describes why plantation owners and cotton farmers believed they needed the labor of enslaved people?(1 point) Responses Without the labor of enslaved people, only sheep could be ranched, which meant less profit. Without the labor of enslaved people, only sheep could be ranched, which meant less profit. Without the labor of enslaved people, less land could be farmed or ranched, which meant less profit. Without the labor of enslaved people, less land could be farmed or ranched, which meant less profit. Without the labor of enslaved people, land could not be farmed in East Texas, which meant less profit. Without the labor of enslaved people, land could not be farmed in East Texas, which meant less profit. Without the labor of enslaved people, cotton could not be farmed, which meant less profit.

Answer 1

The response that best describes why plantation owners and cotton farmers believed they needed the labor of enslaved people is: "Without the labor of enslaved people, cotton could not be farmed, which meant less profit."

This statement accurately reflects the reliance on enslaved labor for the cultivation of cotton, which was a highly profitable cash crop in the Southern United States during the 19th century.