Final answer:
Tobacco was the main cash crop of the Chesapeake Bay colonies, and it was a labor-intensive crop that required significant human labor to cultivate and process.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main cash crop of Chesapeake Bay, which includes Virginia and Maryland, was tobacco. This crop became incredibly significant in the region due to its popularity in England and Europe. Tobacco proved to be very labor-intensive to grow and had high economic value, which is why it necessitated a large workforce, often consisting of enslaved laborers, to manage the demand. During the antebellum period, cotton took over as the South's major commercial crop, but in the Chesapeake colonies, tobacco remained the primary cash crop.