CLEP US History I

Answer: E - There were many places in the colonies that developed a solid middle class, so the lack of it is a distinguishing characteristic of the South. Because large plantations dominated the region, there were few cities and few opportunities for jobs outside the plantations. Furthermore, the skilled labor was performed by slaves, whose training and equipment was provided by the plantation owners. The South was also home to many of the colonies poor farmers, who did what they could to eke out a living in the face of the plantation owning class's monopoly on trade.