Question

In what ways did the cotton gin create a Southern dependence on slavery?

Option 1: Increased demand for skilled labor
Option 2: Boosted industrial development
Option 3: Facilitated agricultural diversification
Option 4: Reinforced reliance on plantation-based economy

Answer 1

The invention of the cotton gin sharply increased cotton production, leading to a greater reliance on slave labor and reinforcing the plantation-based economy in the South.The correct option is 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

The cotton gin significantly reinforced the South's dependence on the institution of slavery. Eli Whitney's invention made it possible to clean cotton much faster than before, which vastly increased cotton production and necessitated more labor to plant and harvest the cotton. This led to an increased demand for enslaved labor, as cotton became a highly profitable crop. Consequently, option 4: Reinforced reliance on plantation-based economy is the correct answer, because the South's economy became even more deeply entrenched in the plantation system that relied on slave labor. The need for slaves ballooned with the cotton industry's expansion, and the domestic slave trade grew to meet this demand, solidifying the horrific institution as foundational to the South's economic success.