Which economic system is characterized by large-scale agriculture based on cash crops often using slave labor?

The Plantation Economy is the correct answer because it specifically refers to an economic system where large estates or plantations produce cash crops, which are crops sold for profit rather than for subsistence. This system heavily relied on the use of slave labor, particularly in regions like the American South, the Caribbean, and Brazil during the colonial and antebellum periods. Cash crops such as tobacco, sugar, cotton, and rice were cultivated in large quantities to meet the demands of both domestic and international markets.

The characteristics of a Plantation Economy are distinct from the feudal system, which was based on land ownership and obligations between lords and vassals rather than large-scale agricultural production for cash. The barter system, focused on the exchange of goods and services without the use of money, does not align with the concept of cash cropping. Lastly, a market economy involves the production and consumption of goods based on supply and demand, rather than the profit-driven, labor-intensive practices characteristic of a plantation economy that depended heavily on the exploitation of enslaved individuals.

Understanding the Plantation Economy provides insight into the historical contexts of agriculture, labor practices, and the socio-economic legacies that still impact societies today.