Question

Which of the following factors contributed to the racialization of slavery in the New World?

A. African workers refused to work for pay in America, so they were enslaved.
B. A high mortality rate among Europeans meant there were not enough workers.
C. Highly labor-intensive crops, such as sugar, were grown on plantations in the Americas.
D. Africans were well educated and could help increase efficiency on plantations.

Answer 1

The racialization of slavery in the New World resulted from the need for a durable labor force for plantations, the high mortality rate of Europeans, and the perception that Africans were better suited for the conditions. This led to a race-based system of slavery.

Step-by-step explanation:

The racialization of slavery in the New World was influenced by several factors, among which are the labor-intensive nature of crops like sugar and the mortality rates of Europeans in tropical environments. These conditions fostered the perception among Europeans that Africans were better suited to the harsh plantation labor.

One significant factor was the high mortality rate among Europeans due to diseases such as malaria and yellow fever, making it difficult for them to survive in the New World, resulting in a labor shortage. This, coupled with the unsuitability of indigenous populations, who often succumbed to disease or overwork under cruel conditions, drove the Europeans to seek another source of labor.

Africans, on the other hand, were recognized for their knowledge in agriculture, animal husbandry, and were perceived to be more resistant to tropical diseases, which made them a more reliable labor force for the plantations. This led to the creation of a race-based system of slavery, where Africans were seen as a permanent, identifiable, and skilled labor supply, exploited in vast numbers across the Atlantic.