Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade · US History

What was the primary economic motivation for the expansion of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade to North America?

  1. The need for skilled artisans to build industrial factories in the North
  2. The demand for large-scale labor to cultivate labor-intensive cash crops
  3. The desire to establish a silver mining industry in New England
  4. A prolonged and severe shortage of experienced sailors needed to crew ships for the British Royal Navy
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Correct answer: The demand for large-scale labor to cultivate labor-intensive cash crops

Cash crops like tobacco, rice, and later indigo required constant, grueling labor that European indentured servants could not sustain in large numbers. Slavery provided a permanent and exploitable labor pool for plantation owners.

Difficulty: Medium Question 5 of 20

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