Planter-legislators of the post-Civil War southern United States enact

1. Which of the following best expresses the central idea of the passage?

(A) Planters in the post-Civil War southern United States sought to reinstate the institution of slavery. -- Planters did not want to reinstate slavery. They were interested in continuing the pre-Civil War economic hierarchy. This is a trap answer.
(B) Through their decisions regarding supply credit, merchants controlled post-Civil War agriculture. -- This is not mentioned in the passage. Out of Scope.
(C) Lien laws helped to defeat the purpose for which they were originally created. -- "Lien laws, the centerpiece of a system designed to create a dependent labor force, became the means for workers, with alternative means of supply advances, to escape that dependence." This means that the lien laws were actually implemented to create a dependent labor force but the opposite happened.
(D) Although slavery had ended, the economic hierarchy changed little in the post-Civil War southern United States. -- Economic hierarchy did end up changing and planters wanted old economic hierarchy. Opposite to what is mentioned in the passage.
(E) Newly freed workers enacted lien laws to hasten the downfall of the plantation economy. -- Workers did not enact the lien laws. Irrelevant
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2. According to the passage, each of the following was a reason planters supported crop lien laws EXCEPT:

(A) Planters believed that lien laws would allow them to expand their landholdings. -- Nowhere in the passage is it mentioned that the planters wanted to increase their landholdings.
(B) Planters expected that lien laws would give them control over former slaves. -- Planters wanted to maintain pre-Civil War economic hierarchy. VALID support present.
(C) Planters anticipated that lien laws would help them retain access to merchant credit. -- Planters wanted the access to merchant credit. VALID support present.
(D) Planters intended to use lien laws to create a dependent labor force. -- Taken from the last line of the passage. VALID support present.
(E) Planters saw lien laws as a way to maintain their traditional economic status. -- Taken from the passage. VALID support present.
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3. The passage suggests which of the following about merchants in the post-Civil War southern United States?

(A) They sought to preserve pre-Civil War social conditions. -- Nothing is mentioned about merchants' motivations. Out of Scope
(B) Their numbers in the legislatures had been diminished. -- Not mentioned in passage. Out of Scope.
(C) Their businesses had suffered from a loss of collateral. -- Not mentioned in passage. Out of Scope.
(D) They were willing to make business arrangements with former slaves. -- "The newly freed workers, seeking to become self-employed tenant farmers rather than wage laborers, made direct arrangements with merchants for supplies." This is exactly what we are looking for.
(E) Their profits had declined because planters defaulted on debts for supply advances. -- This is a good trap answer as the passage does mention something about planters paying debts. But there is no information in the passage that suggests profits for merchants had gone down.
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