24. What was one of the main reasons sugar production fueled the transatlantic slave trade? a) Sugar required minimal labor to harvest b) European farmers refused to grow sugar c) Sugar plantations needed a large labor force for high-demand production d) The industrial revolution replaced manual labor with machines

## Step 1<br />The question is asking for the main reason why sugar production fueled the transatlantic slave trade. The transatlantic slave trade was a period when millions of Africans were forcibly taken from their homes and sold into slavery in the Americas.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The options provided are:<br />a) Sugar required minimal labor to harvest<br />b) European farmers refused to grow sugar<br />c) Sugar plantations needed a large labor force for high-demand production<br />d) The industrial revolution replaced manual labor with machines<br /><br />## Step 3<br />We need to identify the option that best explains why sugar production would have led to an increase in the transatlantic slave trade.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Option a) suggests that sugar required minimal labor to harvest. This is not accurate because sugar cultivation and processing is labor-intensive.<br /><br />## Step 5<br />Option b) suggests that European farmers refused to grow sugar. This is not accurate because sugar was a highly profitable crop and was widely grown by European farmers.<br /><br />## Step 6<br />Option c) suggests that sugar plantations needed a large labor force for high-demand production. This is accurate because sugar plantations were labor-intensive and required a large workforce to meet the high demand for sugar.<br /><br />## Step 7<br />Option d) suggests that the industrial revolution replaced manual labor with machines. This is not accurate because the industrial revolution occurred after the transatlantic slave trade had ended.