Why were backcountry colonists more self-sufficient that plantation owners?
A: They had more slaves to help them
B: Farming along the coast provided everything they needed.
C: Living in the “ breadbasket “ provided them with enough money from their cash crops.
D: Nearly everything they needed was made at home.
D: Nearly everything they needed was made at home.
D: Nearly everything they needed was made at home.
The correct answer is D: Nearly everything they needed was made at home. Backcountry colonists were more self-sufficient than plantation owners because they lived in remote, rural areas and had limited access to outside resources and markets. As a result, they had to rely heavily on their own skills and resources to meet their needs.
To understand this, we can break down the options provided:
A: They had more slaves to help them - While it is true that plantation owners had more slaves to assist with labor-intensive activities, such as cultivating cash crops like tobacco or rice, this did not necessarily make them more self-sufficient. Plantation owners often relied on the import of goods and resources from other regions, such as Europe, for their daily needs.
B: Farming along the coast provided everything they needed - This option is incorrect as it suggests that coastal farmers, including plantation owners, had easy access to all their needs from the sea. While coastal areas did have some advantages in terms of accessibility to trade routes and markets, they still relied on external sources for many of their necessities, especially manufactured goods.
C: Living in the "breadbasket" provided them with enough money from their cash crops - This option is incorrect because it focuses on the economic aspect rather than self-sufficiency. While cash crops could generate income for plantation owners, they often relied on importing goods that they could not produce locally, undermining their self-sufficiency.
D: Nearly everything they needed was made at home - This option is correct. Backcountry colonists, living in remote and less developed areas, had limited access to external markets and resources. Therefore, they had to rely on their own skills and resources to produce the goods they needed. They often engaged in subsistence farming, grew their own food, made their own tools, clothing, and other necessities within their communities, thus being more self-sufficient compared to plantation owners.
So, the backcountry colonists' self-sufficiency stemmed from their ability to produce and make almost everything they needed at home, rather than relying on external sources.