Advanced Placement (AP) World History Practice Exam 2026 - Free AP World History Practice Questions and Study Guide

The term that best describes the economy of the Southern United States, which was centered around cash crops and heavily reliant on slavery, is the Plantation Economy. This economy was characterized by large agricultural estates known as plantations where crops such as cotton, tobacco, and sugar were cultivated for sale rather than for subsistence. The plantations utilized a labor system based on enslaved African Americans, which allowed for the production of these cash crops on a scale that contributed significantly to both the local and national economy.

In this context, the Plantation Economy not only highlights the agricultural aspect but also underscores the social and economic systems built around slavery, which was integral to its operation. This system differed from a feudal economy, which is typically tied to land ownership and obligations in a European context, or a barter economy, which relies on direct exchange of goods without currency. Additionally, a market economy, while it denotes the overall trade and commercial exchange, does not specifically capture the reliance on slavery and cash crops that defined the Southern economy during this period. Thus, Plantation Economy accurately encapsulates the complexities and characteristics of that economic structure in the Southern United States.