Planters used enslaved humans instead of draft animals because imported labor was cheaper

Evidence

As long as imported African labour was relatively cheap to replenish, planters could afford to use people rather than animals to perform the most back-breaking tasks. After all, slaves were dispensable, whereas horses and oxen were costlier to import and less likely to survive in the unforgiving climate. — Stella Dadzie, A Kick in the Belly- Women, Slavery and…, 186

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Stella Dadzie, A Kick in the Belly- Women, Slavery and…, 186
• XREF: connects to: Ex-slaves’ refusal to sell disciplined labor led Brazilians to import European workers