The acronym W.R.I.S.T. stands for which group of crops grown in the Georgia colony?

• A. Wheat, Rice, Indigo, Silk, and Tin
• B. Willow, Rice, Iron, Silk, Tin
• C. Wine, Rice, Indigo, Silk, and Tobacco
• D. Water, Rye, Ice, Silk, Tin

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is recognizing the set of cash crops associated with Georgia’s early colonial economy. The acronym W.R.I.S.T. represents Wine, Rice, Indigo, Silk, Tobacco. Each of these crops reflects what the colony hoped to grow for export and profit: rice did well in Georgia’s low, swampy coastal areas; indigo provided a valuable dye; silk was promoted through mulberry farming as a new plantation product; tobacco was a common cash crop in the region; and wine points to grape cultivation for producing wine. The other options mix in items that aren’t crops or aren’t tied to Georgia’s colonial agriculture, like metals (iron, tin) or non-crops (ice, water), or include less historically central crops.