Question

read the passage from sugar changed the world. is it too far to say that as late as 1716, when slavery was flourishing in every corner of the world and most eastern europeans themselves were farmers who could be sold along with the land they worked, some folks were beginning to feel there was a better way? in the age of sugar, when slavery was more brutal than ever before, the idea that all humans are equal began to spread—toppling kings, overturning governments, transforming the entire world. sugar was the connection, the tie, between slavery and freedom. in order to create sugar, europeans and colonists in the americas destroyed africans, turned them into objects. just at that very same moment, europeans—at home and across the atlantic—decided that they could no longer stand being objects themselves. they each needed to vote, to speak out, to challenge the rules of crowned kings and royal princes. how could that be? how could the same people who are so cruel in the colonies be so sensitive to their own suffering? there is one part of the world where this story could not take place, and that is the land that we now call haiti. which excerpt from the passage best states the authors’ claim? most eastern europeans themselves were farmers who could be sold along with the land. europeans and colonists in the americas destroyed africans, turned them into objects. why did people keep speaking of equality while profiting from slavery? the global hunger for slave-grown sugar led directly to the end of slavery.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the main claim (thesis) of the passage. The passage discusses how the concept of liberty was created by Europeans and colonizers in the Americas, who simultaneously dehumanized Africans (turned them into objects) for slavery. Then, it notes that Europeans (and Africans) later couldn't accept being objects themselves, leading to a push for liberty. The excerpt "Europeans and colonizers in the American destroyed Africans, turned them into objects" directly supports the thesis by explaining the action (destroying, objectifying Africans) that was part of creating the concept of liberty, as the passage states this happened "in order to create liberty". Other options either describe a different aspect (e.g., the spread of equality idea, the end of slavery due to sugar demand) or are a question, not a supporting statement.

The thesis relates to how liberty's creation involved dehumanizing Africans. The option "Europeans and colonizers in the American destroyed Africans, turned them into objects" directly supports this by stating the action taken to create liberty (objectifying Africans), matching the passage's explanation of liberty's creation. Other options are unrelated or not supporting statements.

Answer:

B. Europeans and colonizers in the American destroyed Africans, turned them into objects.