What was the first colony on the mainland of America to have a black majority?Group of answer choicesMassachusettsSouth CarolinaNorth CarolinaPennsylvania

Answer

The first colony on the mainland of America to have a black majority was South Carolina. Established in 1670, South Carolina developed an economy that heavily relied on plantation agriculture, particularly rice and indigo. The need for labor led to the significant importation of enslaved Africans, resulting in a population where, by the early 18th century, blacks outnumbered whites.

This demographic shift was facilitated by the brutal conditions of plantation life that demanded extensive labor, which was largely fulfilled by the enslaved population. By the late 1600s and early 1700s, the black population in South Carolina had grown so significantly that they constituted the majority in some areas, a phenomenon that set the stage for the social dynamics of the region for years to come.

Thus, among the answer choices provided—Massachusetts, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania—the correct answer is South Carolina.