It could be argued that the "serf" was the "property" of the land during the Middle Ages, since under the feudal system that reigned supreme during this time, serfs (or peasants) had very little rights of their own.
Europeans and Westerners exploited Africa and the people. Women and children were able to work at factories but received a lower pay than men because men are perceived to be more superior. Also, because of the industrial revolution, factories were built, decreasing the use of farming to make profit.
Probably tobacco. Or cotton. are there answer choices?
For one, there wasn't exactly a labor shortage. Because of the economic theory of mercantilism, the colonies were established to produce a surplus of goods. In other words, the only reason there was a labor shortage was because the colonies had been established in the first place for the purpose of creating tons and tons of mostly unnecessary stuff (like tobacco). The best solution would have been simply not to colonize America in the first place, but the colonists could also simply have done the work themselves, or hired labor from other parts of the world rather than capturing and enslaving people.
