Question

Which is the BEST explanation for the decline in cotton production that occurred in Georgia in the decades following World War II?
A) The cotton crops were devastated by several years of drought.
Eliminate
B) The cotton crops were destroyed by an infestation of boll weevils.
C) Georgia farmers were paid to reduce production under the Agricultural Adjustment Act.
D) Newly developed synthetic fabrics like nylon and rayon led to a decrease in demand for cotton.

Answer 1

Which is the BEST explanation for the decline in cotton production that occurred in Georgia in the decades following World War II is

C) Georgia farmers were paid to reduce production under the Agricultural Adjustment Act.

Answer 2

The cotton crops were destroyed by an infestation of boll weevils resulting in rapid decline in cotton production that occurred in Georgia in the decades of World War II.

Explanation: Between 1915, when the bug was introduced to Georgia, and the early 1990s, when it was removed as an economic pest, the boll weevil had a significant impact on Georgia's long history of cotton cultivation.

Cotton acreage fell from 5.2 million acres in 1914 to 2.6 million acres in 1923 as a result of yield losses caused by the boll weevil. Despite the short assistance afforded by pesticides, the cotton industry remained unprofitable, and planted acreage fell to a low of 115,000 acres in 1983. The cotton economy in the South was decimated by the boll weevil, which had far-reaching consequences for the entire region.

The pest was a major factor in the "great flight" of poor tenant farmers to northern cities, and the state's reliance on cash crops left it vulnerable.