Why was enslaved labor so important for plantation owners in colonial America? A. The plantation owners could use enslaved people to defend their property from European powers.

B. Enslaved people could be traded for manufactured goods with the middle and New England colonies.

C. Enslaved labor made it possible to grow cash crops such as rice and tobacco on large plantations.

D. The number of enslaved people determined the number of representatives in the colonial legislature.

E. Enslaved people manufactured textiles, furniture, glass, and other goods for export to Britain.