Question

Although sugar dated from the colonial period of Louisiana's history, it did not become a major crop until the second and third decades of the nineteenth century. Colonists first cultivated sugar cane in the 1750s, using a variety called Creole cane that was not well-suited to Louisiana. Refugees from Saint-Domingue brought a more successful variety to Louisiana in 1797, but even more suitable to Louisiana's climate was ribbon cane, introduced in 1817 and cultivated throughout the sugar regions within a few years. –“Antebellum Louisiana II: Agrarian Life,” Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism Read the text. Then, choose the statement below that best summarizes the text. Refugees from Saint-Domingue made sugarcane the dominant crop in Louisiana during the late 1700s. Though sugarcane had been grown for years, it became a cash crop in the 1800s with the introduction of ribbon cane. Early colonists struggled to make a living growing sugarcane, as the Creole cane variety was poorly suited to the region. Sugar had been successfully grown in Louisiana for several decades.

Answer 1

The summarizing statement indicating that sugar cane became a major cash crop in Louisiana in the 1800s following the introduction of ribbon cane correctly reflects the important transition in agricultural practices and economic focus of the region described in the text.

Step-by-step explanation:

The text provided discusses the history of sugar cultivation in Louisiana, emphasizing the significant change in sugar cane farming with the introduction of new varieties more suited to the region's climate.

Though sugar had been planted in colonial Louisiana since the 1750s, it did not become a major crop until the introduction of ribbon cane in 1817. This variety, along with the one brought by refugees from Saint-Domingue in 1797, was crucial for the development of sugar cane as a cash crop in the 19th century.

The text underlines that while the Creole cane first cultivated by colonists did not thrive well, it was these subsequent introductions that led to the successful expansion of sugar cultivation in the region.