Final answer:
Historically, support for the Republican Party was strongest in counties with a majority African American population in Mississippi during the Reconstruction era. However, modern political alignment has shifted Republican support predominantly toward rural areas across the South, including Mississippi. Option d is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The support for the Republican Party in Mississippi has varied over time with several historical shifts. In the Reconstruction era and the years following the Civil War, the Republican Party, being the party of Lincoln, had the support of African Americans for their emancipation and rights efforts. This meant that, historically, the Republican Party would find its stronghold in areas with a significant African American population.
However, party realignments have reshaped political landscapes. Since the mid-20th century, the Southern Strategy and changes in party platforms have resulted in the South, including Mississippi, transforming into a region with strong Republican support, primarily in rural areas rather than areas with majority African American populations, which tend to support the Democratic Party.
Given these historical insights, the most accurate answer to the question 'Where in Mississippi was support for the Republican Party strongest?' is d) In counties with a majority African American population, specifically during the post-Civil War period when the Republican Party was seen as the liberators of enslaved African Americans. However, it is important to note that in contemporary Mississippi politics, the Republican Party's strongest support comes from rural areas rather than the counties with a majority African American population.