Question

8. Why did Memphis become a center for the cotton industry and the slave trade? (choose two)

A. West Tennessee was the richest cotton-producing region in the state.
B. Yeoman farmers in Middle Tennessee produced a lot of cotton.
C. Plantation owners in East Tennessee produced cotton without having to use a
cotton gin
D. Memphis had a large textile manufacturing industry.
E. Memphis was located on the Mississippi River.

Answer 1

Memphis became a key center for the cotton industry and slave trade because it was in the richest cotton-producing region in Tennessee and because its location on the Mississippi River was ideal for transportation and trade.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reason why Memphis became a center for the cotton industry and the slave trade is primarily due to two factors:

1. West Tennessee was the richest cotton-producing region in the state. This led to Memphis becoming a commercial hub for cotton, as it was strategically situated within a very productive cotton-growing region.
2. Memphis was located on the Mississippi River. Its location on the river made it an advantageous site for transportation and trade of cotton, as well as the movement of enslaved people who were integral to the labor-intensive process of cotton production.

While Memphis did have a presence of textile mills, these were not the primary reason for its importance in the cotton economy, and the use of the cotton gin was widespread in all cotton-producing areas to process the crop, making East Tennessee's hypothetical non-use of it irrelevant. Middle Tennessee was not as significant in cotton production as West Tennessee.

Answer 2

• A. West Tennessee was the richest cotton-producing region in the state.
• E. Memphis was located on the Mississippi River.

Step-by-step explanation:

Memphis is located in the western area of Tennessee where due to very fertile soil, a high grade of cotton could be produced. This allowed for large plantations around Memphis that saw the city rise in statue as cotton was traded in it.

Memphis was also located on the Mississippi river which meant that it had transport facilities both for the cotton that was being farmed and the enslaved people that were being brought to farm them.