Which statement explains the changes shown in this table?*
1 point
Year
New England
Colonies
Middle
Colonies
Southern Colonies
1690
905
2,472
13,307
1700
1,680
5,361
22,476
1710
2,585
6,218
36,063
1720
3,956
10,825
54,058
1730
6,118
11,683
73,220
1740
8,541
16,452
125,031
Estimated African-American Population in the 13 Colonies, 1690-1740
Source: Historical Statistics of the United States
More African Americans were needed in New England shipbuilding communities.
The use of slave labor declined after early colonization.
• The Middle Colonies did not need slave labor to harvest staple crops.
• More African Americans were needed to harvest cash crops grown in the south.