Final answer:
The second reason why the enslaved were banned from being literate was to preserve the existing social order by maintaining control and preventing challenges to the system of slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question being asked pertains to the reasons why enslaved individuals were banned from being literate. Among the options provided, 'Preservation of social order,' 'Economic exploitation,' 'Cultural suppression,' and 'Religious beliefs,' the majority of historical evidence suggests that the prevention of literacy among the enslaved was primarily aimed at preserving the existing social order (Option A). By preventing literacy, slave owners maintained control, ensuring that enslaved people could not easily communicate, organize, or challenge the system of slavery. Literacy was perceived as a threat to the hierarchy, which kept enslaved people subservient. As highlighted in historical records, laws were passed across Southern states that explicitly prohibited the education of enslaved individuals, demonstrating the importance placed on maintaining illiteracy as a form of oppression.