Personal liberties were among the key ideas of the American Revolution. Given this fact, why did slavery continue after the American Revolution?
A. The Southern plantation economy depended on slavery.
B. The colonial government encouraged manumission.
C. British, Loyalists, and Patriots all agreed that liberty did not extend to slaves.
D. Slave labor was important to the New England economy.
I think it's C.
I agree, C.
Not all people agreed that liberty did not extend to slaves. I think there's a better answer.
The question speaks of "after the American Revolution". What difference did it make what the British or former Loyalists thought about anything?
Thank you. And actually, I agree that it isn't C. I chose A.
I think A is a better choice.
To determine the correct answer, let's examine each option:
A. The Southern plantation economy depended on slavery: This option suggests that slavery continued after the American Revolution because it was necessary for the economy of Southern plantations. While this is true, it does not address the key idea of personal liberties.
B. The colonial government encouraged manumission: Manumission refers to the act of freeing slaves. While some individual colonial governments did encourage manumission, it was not a widespread practice and does not explain why slavery continued overall after the American Revolution.
C. British, Loyalists, and Patriots all agreed that liberty did not extend to slaves: This option suggests that all three groups (British, Loyalists, and Patriots) agreed that slaves were not entitled to personal liberties. While it is true that many people during this time did not consider slaves to have the same rights as others, this alone does not explain why slavery persisted after the American Revolution.
D. Slave labor was important to the New England economy: This option suggests that slave labor played a significant role in the New England economy. However, the New England economy was not predominantly dependent on slavery, making this choice less likely.
Based on this analysis, the most accurate answer is A. The Southern plantation economy depended on slavery. Slavery continued after the American Revolution because the economic system in the Southern states heavily relied on enslaved labor.