Southern plantations relied on the work of African and African-American slaves. There were many more slaves in the Southern colonies than there were in the New England and Middle colonies. By 1750, slaves made up almost half of the population of the Southern colonies. Slaves worked long hours in the hot fields harvesting cash crops, powering the Southern economy. They were not paid for their labor. If they made a small mistake, they were often beaten and whipped by the overseer, the person watching over the slaves’ work. When slaves had children, these children were born enslaved. It was also illegal for slaves to learn to read and write. The first slaves arrived in the colonies in 1619, and slavery didn’t end until almost 250 years later.

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A
Types of Plantations

B
The Economy of the Southern Colonies

C
Slavery in the Southern Colonies

D
How Slavery Ended