Slaves were used in the American colonies mainly because

A. owners were not required to pay them.
B. owners were required to hire slaves
C. it was illegal for slaves to be paid.
D. it was illegal for other people to do work.

A

Explanation:

During the 1700s and 1800s, colonists took part in the American Slave Trade, where they drove thousands of Africans out of their home countries and forced them to work for the Americans. Due to the color of the Africans' skin, colonists thought that they were inferior to Americans/whites and that colonists could then work Africans without any pay.

This kind of work not only gave colonists a sense of freedom because they no longer had to endure the backbreaking work, but it also relieved them of financial burden since they didn't have to pay their slaves.

Look for an answer choice that matches the above description. Only A makes sense.

B is wrong because people were not required to have slaves. They could if they wanted to.

C is wrong because it was not illegal to pay slaves; colonists just chose not to because that would benefit them more.

D is wrong because it was not illegal for others to do work; in fact, many colonists did work on their own farms before, during, and after the Slave Trade.

Hope this helps!

the first one is d and the second a