Final answer:
Due to the legal protections of the era, slaveholders like Mr. Litch could not be held accountable because slaves' testimonies were not permitted in court, allowing cruelty with impunity. Therefore, the correct option is B.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mr. Litch was not held accountable to authorities for his mistreatment of slaves due to the legal protection afforded to him and other slaveholders under the laws of the time. Slaves were not considered credible witnesses against white people; hence, their testimonies were inadmissible in court. This legal framework, part of the slave code, essentially allowed slaveholders to act with impunity, and any amount of cruelty could and did occur without legal consequence.