By not making an immediate law on slavery what pressure did the National Assembly accept?

Correct answer: Economic pressure of merchants and plantation owners

The direct answer is A, the economic pressure of merchants and plantation owners. The National Assembly discussed revolutionary ideals such as liberty and equality, but colonial slavery was tied to profitable trade and plantations. Merchants involved in the slave trade and plantation owners who used enslaved labour feared losing money if slavery was ended immediately. Their influence created pressure on the Assembly, so it did not pass an immediate abolition law. Option A is correct because it explains the conflict between moral revolutionary principles and powerful economic interests. Option B, the political power of slaves, is incorrect because enslaved people were denied political rights and did not control the Assembly. Option C, the feudal demand of peasants, concerns rural social and land issues in France, not the commercial defence of colonial slavery. Option D, the demand of women’s clubs, relates to women’s political participation and rights, not the main reason for delaying abolition. The important reasoning is: slavery generated profit; profitable groups resisted change; lawmakers faced their pressure. This does not mean slavery was morally justified; it shows how economic power could obstruct equality. Exam cue: connect delay in abolition with merchants, plantations and commercial interests.