STAAR 8th Grade Social Studies Practice Test

Focusing on how technology changes both production and the people needed to do the work, the cotton gin dramatically sped up removing seeds from cotton fiber. This made cotton farming far more profitable and encouraged planters to expand cotton fields across the South. As more land was used for cotton, the demand for labor to plant, tend, and harvest the crop grew, leading to slavery becoming more deeply entrenched and expanding to support the cotton economy. The other options don’t fit as directly: a sewing machine changes textile production but doesn’t drive cotton expansion or labor demand; a steam engine boosts transportation and industry but isn’t the trigger for growing enslaved labor tied to cotton; a telegraph improves communication but doesn’t alter the scale of slavery tied to cotton production.