Which demographic constituted about 20% of the population and primarily lived in bondage on southern plantations?

The demographic that constituted about 20% of the population and primarily lived in bondage on southern plantations refers to Africans, particularly those who were enslaved. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the transatlantic slave trade brought a significant number of Africans to the Americas, where they were forced into labor on plantations, particularly in the Southern colonies. This forced labor was essential for the cultivation of cash crops like tobacco, rice, and cotton, which were foundational to the Southern economy.

The presence of a large enslaved population had profound impacts not only on the economic structures of the South but also on social, cultural, and political elements of American society. The institution of slavery led to the development of complex social hierarchies and systems of racial oppression, which would persist long after the abolition of slavery.

In contrast, the other groups mentioned—Native Americans, Swedes, and Irish—did not make up a demographic that primarily lived in bondage within this period's context. Native Americans were largely displaced and faced different forms of oppression, Swedes were early European settlers but comprised a much smaller population, and Irish immigrants came to America during the 19th century in search of better opportunities rather than as a bonded workforce like enslaved Africans.