“When a new hand, one unaccustomed to the business, is sent for the first time into the field, he is whipped up smartly and made for that day to pick as fast as he can possibly. At night it is weighed, so that his capability in cotton picking is known. He must bring in the same weight each night following. If it falls short, it is considered evidence that he has been laggard, and a greater or less number of lashes is the penalty.”
–Solomon Northrup, Twelve Years a Slave
According to this passage, the desired speed of picking cotton on a plantation was maintained by _____.
a.
working in shifts
c.
promising rest breaks
b.
whipping workers
d.
using new machinery
Please select the best answer from the choices provided
A
B
C
D