Which of the following is NOT listed as a cash crop for the Southern Colonies in the material?

• A. Tobacco
• B. Rice
• C. Indigo
• D. Cotton

Answer: (D)

The question tests your understanding of which crops were considered cash crops in the Southern colonies during the colonial period. A cash crop is grown primarily to be sold for profit rather than for personal use.

In the material, tobacco, rice, and indigo are identified as cash crops. Tobacco was a major export from Virginia and Maryland; rice dominated the Lowcountry plantations of South Carolina and Georgia; indigo was grown for dye and exported as a commodity. Cotton, while grown in the South, did not become a major colonial-era cash crop. It rose to prominence later, especially after the late 18th century with the invention of the cotton gin and the expansion of plantation agriculture in the Deep South. That timing is why cotton isn’t listed as a cash crop for the Southern colonies in the material, making it the correct choice for not being listed.