The correct answer is:
OD. made it difficult for freedmen to achieve economic independence.
Explanation:
1. The crop-lien system was a system where sharecroppers and tenant farmers obtained supplies and food on credit in exchange for a portion of their future harvest.
2. This system often led to high levels of debt for the farmers, making it challenging for them to break free from the cycle of poverty and achieve economic independence.
3. Freedmen, who were formerly enslaved individuals, often found themselves trapped in this system, struggling to build wealth or own their land due to the debts incurred through the crop-lien system.
4. Therefore, the crop-lien system made it difficult for freedmen to achieve economic independence as it tied them to a cycle of debt and dependency on landowners and merchants.