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QuizMultiple Choice

Slavery in American Culture

Question 2 • MI-Government/Civics 2023

How did technological innovations in textile mills affect the practice of slavery?

Answer
A
Faster and cheaper production of cloth raised the demand for cotton plants, which increased the need for enslaved workers on Southern plantations.
B
The increase of machinery in textile mills meant that large numbers of enslaved workers were needed to run the machines.
C
As the number of machines in textile mills increased, fewer laborers were needed and the number of enslaved workers declined.
D
New technologies in textile mills enabled more cloth to be made from less cotton, and the number of enslaved workers on cotton plantations decreased.

Explanation

Textile innovations such as the power loom made cloth production faster and cheaper, increasing the demand for cotton. Southern plantations grew more cotton to supply the mills, which increased the demand for enslaved workers to plant and harvest it. The machines were used in the mills, not to replace enslaved workers on plantations.

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