Final answer:
Sharecroppers were tenant farmers who provided a part of their harvest as rent, making the statement true. Similarly, cotton was the economic base of the South post-Civil War, so that statement is true as well.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question presented relates to the practice of sharecropping, which emerged after the Civil War during the Reconstruction era. Sharecropping was a system where tenant farmers, who did not own the land they worked on, would agree to give a portion of their crops to the landowner as a form of rent. Therefore, the correct answer to the statement 'Sharecroppers were tenant farmers who paid their rent with shares of their crops.' is a. True.
In connection to the Southern economy, cotton was indeed a staple crop that created an economic foundation for the South during the Reconstruction period. Hence, the statement 'Cotton formed a strong economic basis for the South during Reconstruction.' is also a. True.