Question

By the eighteenth century, race-based slavery was taken as normal practice. Few people considered it a moral issue. Identify the statement that describes the practice of slavery within the colonies?

1) Slavery was seen as a necessary economic system for the colonies
2) Slavery was considered a violation of human rights
3) Slavery was practiced only in the southern colonies
4) Slavery was abolished in the colonies by the eighteenth century

Answer 1

The eighteenth-century colonial economy considered slavery a necessary system, prevalent in both southern and northern colonies, supporting plantation economies and contributing to the wealth and political power of the aristocracy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The practice of slavery in the colonies is best described by the first statement: Slavery was seen as a necessary economic system for the colonies.

In the eighteenth century, slavery was deeply rooted in the colonies and played a pivotal role in the economic development of regions like Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, and Georgia. The Chesapeake and Low Country colonies relied heavily on the labor of African and African-American slaves on plantations, establishing an economic and political aristocracy based on this coerced labor force.

This arrangement provided the wealth that enabled the plantation owners to experience freedom and liberty at the expense of the enslaved individuals. Similarly, slavery was not confined to the South as it was also present in Northern colonies, such as New York and New Jersey.