Final answer:
A plantation is a large agricultural estate in the southern US, focused on cash crops and historically operated with slave labor.
Step-by-step explanation:
A plantation is a large agricultural estate, typically found in the southern US states, and is predominantly devoted to the production of cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, sugar, and coffee. During the colonial period and well into the 19th century, these plantations were often operated through the labor of enslaved people, with slavery playing a crucial role in the economic development of the South. Plantation agriculture led to significant social and economic changes in the regions where it dominated, often at the expense of both enslaved individuals and local populations.