Final answer:
In the mid-19th century, male field hands were paid an average of $1,600 at market by 1850, with wages influenced by cotton prices and inflation.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the mid-19th century, male field hands were paid an average of $1,600 at market by 1850. This amount was influenced by the rising prices of cotton, as the field hands were responsible for picking cotton. For example, when cotton was priced at 7ยข per pound in 1838, the average cost of a field hand was around $700. As the price of cotton increased over the next ten years, so did the cost of an enslaved male laborer, reaching more than $1,600. Historically, the wages earned by field hands were impacted by inflation and the value of the crops they produced.