Question

Which of the following is the most accurate analysis of the relationship between planters and slavery? The majority of planters had few enslaved people and preferred to use paid labor when possible. Planters managed enslaved people but had little direct involvement in the buying and selling of enslaved people. The wealth and power of planters was dependent on the labor of enslaved people. Planters supported slavery in South Carolina but opposed its expansion elsewhere.

Answer 1

The most accurate analysis of the relationship between planters and slavery is: **"The wealth and power of planters was dependent on the labor of enslaved people."**

This statement reflects the central role that enslaved labor played in the economy and social structure of the antebellum South, particularly for plantation owners who relied on this labor for the cultivation of cash crops like cotton, tobacco, and sugar. The existence of slavery was fundamental to the wealth accumulation and social standing of planters.