"[They have] found out a fearful alchemy by which...blood can be transformed into gold. Instead of listening to the cry of agony, they listen to the ring of dollars and stoop down to pick up the coin." This 1857 quotation most likely refers to
A) a northern factory owner.
B) a southern planter.
C) a small southern tobacco farmer.
D) a cotton broker.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The quotation criticizes the transformation of human suffering into profit, which aligns with the practices of southern planters who relied on slave labor to produce lucrative cash crops like cotton.

"[They Have] Found Out a Fearful Alchemy by Which