Which statement correctly explains the relation between slavery and colonial trade?

Correct answer: Slave labour made profitable production of colonial crops possible

Colonial plantations were organised to produce export crops such as sugar, coffee, and indigo for European markets. Enslaved labour supplied plantation owners with a workforce that could be controlled and exploited without normal wages, helping reduce costs and increase profits. Ships carried manufactured goods to Africa, enslaved people to the colonies, and plantation products to Europe, creating a connected Atlantic trading system. Option A is correct because it identifies how forced labour supported profitable colonial production. Option B denies the central economic connection, C ignores the extensive use of enslaved labour, and D is false because sugar and coffee were important European commodities.