Figurative is something that shouldn't be taking literally. For example, when you say "I have a ton of homework" you don't really mean you have 2000 pounds of homework.
England's southern colonies in North America developed a farm economy that could not survive without slave labor. Many slaves lived on large farms called plantations. These plantations produced important crops traded by the colony, crops such as cotton and tobacco.
And
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries people were kidnapped from the continent of Africa, forced into slavery in the American colonies and exploited to work as indentured servants and labor in the production of crops such as tobacco and cotton.
Labor unions worked for reforms in the workplace, including safer working environments, better pay, and shorter hours.
