Which of the Following Statements Most Accurately Describes the State

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the state of the Portuguese and Spanish American colonies by the middle of the 18th century?

A) The population of the American colonies never recovered from the initial loss of Indian population.
B) While the population of the American colonies was growing, largely due to the importation of African slaves, the economy was largely stagnant.
C) The American colonies of Spain and Portugal were experiencing considerable growth in population and productive capacity.
D) Following the disruption of the plantation economies, the Portuguese and Spanish American colonies experienced population loss and economic depression.