Question

While the eighteenth-century Southern gentry privately looked down on poor whites, they publicly acknowledged them as

a. Equals in social status
b. Dependents requiring assistance
c. A vital labor force
d. A political threat

Answer 1

The eighteenth-century Southern gentry privately looked down on poor whites, but publicly acknowledged them as a vital labor force.

correct answer is c

Step-by-step explanation:

The eighteenth-century Southern gentry privately looked down on poor whites, but publicly acknowledged them as a vital labor force.

While they may have held a disdainful view of poor whites in private, the Southern gentry recognized their economic importance and relied on their labor for the plantation economy.

Poor whites served as overseers, drivers, and traders in the southern economy and played a significant role in the production of crops like cotton.

correct answer is c