What was a key outcome of plantation economies dependent on sugar cultivation?

A key outcome of plantation economies dependent on sugar cultivation was the expanded reliance on enslaved labor. The production of sugar is labor-intensive and requires a significant workforce to cultivate, harvest, and process the crop. As the demand for sugar grew, especially in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, plantations in the Americas turned increasingly to enslaved African labor as a solution to meet the labor needs for the high-volume, high-profit sugar trade.

This reliance on enslaved labor became integral to the economic model of sugar plantations, shaping social, economic, and demographic trends in places like the Caribbean and the southern United States. The extensive use of enslaved individuals not only supported the sugar economy but also laid the groundwork for the systems of racial oppression and socioeconomic disparities that would persist for centuries.

In contrast, the other options either misrepresent the nature of the labor systems established or overlook the central role that slavery played in the development and profitability of sugar plantations. For instance, the option suggesting an increased dependence on voluntary labor does not align with the historical context, as the demand for labor led to a significant shift towards coercive labor systems.