Question

read the passage from sugar changed the world.
sugar was the connection, the tie, between slavery and freedom. in order to create sugar, europeans and colonists in the americas destroyed africans, turned them into objects. just at that very same moment, europeans—at home and across the atlantic—decided that they could no longer stand being objects themselves. they each needed to vote, to speak out, to challenge the rules of crowned kings and royal princes. how could that be? why did people keep speaking of equality while profiting from slaves? in fact, the global hunger for slave - grown sugar led directly to the end of slavery. following the strand of sugar and slavery leads directly into the tumult of the age of revolutions. for in north america, then england, france, haiti, and once again north america, the age of sugar brought about the great, final clash between freedom and slavery.
based on this excerpt, what question are the authors trying to answer?
how did colonists challenge the rules of crowned kings?
how did the age of sugar differ from the age of revolutions?
when did europeans decide to speak about equality?
why did some europeans decide they wanted to speak out about slavery?

Explanation:

The passage discusses the connection between sugar, slavery, and the actions of Europeans (both colonists and those in Europe) regarding freedom and equality. It asks why people spoke of equality while profiting from slaves and then explains how the sugar - slavery connection led to the Age of Revolutions. The key is to find the question that aligns with this exploration.

• The first option “How did colonists challenge the rules of crowned kings?” is too narrow as the passage is more about the connection between sugar, slavery, and the broader movement (not just colonists challenging kings).
• The second option “How did the Age of Sugar differ from the Age of Revolutions?” is incorrect because the passage shows a connection (the Age of Sugar led to the Age of Revolutions) rather than focusing on differences.
• The third option “When did Europeans decide to speak about equality?” is not the main focus. The passage is more about the “why” related to the connection between sugar, slavery, and the fight against slavery (which is related to speaking out about slavery as part of the equality - freedom - slavery connection).
• The fourth option “Why did some Europeans decide they wanted to speak out about slavery?” aligns with the passage's exploration of the connection between sugar (and its production through slavery), the idea of equality (Europeans not wanting to be “objects” themselves), and the end of slavery.

Answer:

Why did some Europeans decide they wanted to speak out about slavery?