Although Alfred Wegener Presented Compelling Evidence for His Continental Drift

question 14

Essay

Although Alfred Wegener presented compelling evidence for his continental drift hypothesis (despite lacking a mechanism), why was the true nature of plate boundaries not determined until the 1960s? (Hint: Don't think of historical scientific developments, but rather the scope and rate of geological processes involved in plate tectonics.)

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Definitions:

Broadening of Freedom

The expansion of individual rights and liberties to more people, exemplified by social, political, and legal advancements over time.

New England

A region in the northeastern United States comprising six states: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, known for its colonial past and as the birthplace of American democracy.

Slave Plantations

Large estates where enslaved African Americans were forced to work, primarily in the southern United States before the Civil War, mainly on cotton, tobacco, and sugar farms.

Barbados

An island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, known for its beaches, history, and cultural heritage.