Question

Which of the following was true of small farmers in 1670s Virginia?

a) They owned large plantations
b) They had few laborers
c) They primarily grew cotton
d) They were all wealthy

Answer 1

Small farmers in 1670s Virginia had smaller plots of land, few laborers, and were not generally wealthy. They primarily grew tobacco, not cotton, which became the South's dominant crop later in the antebellum era.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the 1670s Virginia, small farmers, often referred to as yeoman farmers, did not own large plantations. Instead, they owned smaller parcels of land and generally had few laborers if any. They were certainly not all wealthy; many aspired to improve their social and economic status through land ownership and the institution of slavery, which at the time was seen as a path to economic advancement. Contrary to the option provided in the question, these farmers did not primarily grow cotton during this period; cotton became the dominant crop in the South mainly in the antebellum era, especially after the invention of the cotton gin in 1793. Tobacco was the primary cash crop in Virginia during the 1670s. Therefore, the statement that best describes small farmers in 1670s Virginia is (b) They had few laborers.