Which statement most accurately links agricultural expansion with colonial revenue policy?

Correct answer: Clearing forests for farming increased taxable land

The direct answer is C: clearing forests for farming increased taxable land. Colonial governments often assessed land and collected revenue from cultivation. If forests were cleared and converted into fields, the area considered productive and taxable could expand. The reasoning is: forest is cleared; cultivation increases; cultivated land can be assessed; the state may collect more land revenue. Option A is wrong because agricultural expansion did not always end state income; it could increase it. Option B is wrong because farming expansion was closely connected with land tax and revenue policy. Option C is correct because it gives the precise link between forest clearance and taxable cultivation. Option D is wrong because expansion was not only for local food security; colonial revenue, commercial crops, and administrative aims also mattered. Memory cue: clear forest, create fields, assess land, collect tax.