Question

A student wrote the following thesis statement for their history research paper.

Because of the U.S. Civil War, the Texas cattle industry turned into a profitable nationwide industry.

Which of the following statements identifies evidence that best supports this argument?

An abundance of cattle existed in Texas after the Civil War, and ranchers needed to find ways to sell it to northern cities.

Overhunting of buffalo resulted in more indigenous people trading with ranchers to get cattle for food and other resources.

Because slavery was abolished after the Civil War, crash crops were no longer the most important goods sold in the Texas economy.

A naval blockade of the Texas coast and Mississippi River during the Civil War resulted in more cattle being shipped to the western.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The first statement, "An abundance of cattle existed in Texas after the Civil War, and ranchers needed to find ways to sell it to northern cities," provides evidence that supports the argument that the Texas cattle industry turned into a profitable nationwide industry after the U.S. Civil War. This evidence highlights the surplus of cattle in Texas and the need for ranchers to find markets to sell their livestock, suggesting that the industry expanded and became profitable.