Question

in the 1870s, the system of sharecropping failed to
reincorporate the south into the united states.
provide landowners with a steady labor force.
return abandoned land to its former owners.
stimulate and grow the southern economy.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Reincorporating the South (Reconstruction) was a broader political process, not directly related to sharecropping's failure.
• Sharecropping did provide landowners a labor force (tenants working land in exchange for shares), so this is incorrect.
• Returning abandoned land to former owners was more about land policies post - Civil War, not sharecropping's failure.
• Sharecropping trapped many in debt cycles, kept the South in a cycle of poverty and low - productivity agriculture, and thus failed to stimulate economic growth.

Answer:

D. stimulate and grow the Southern economy.