The greatest benefit brought about by European colonization and trade in the Indian Ocean region was

Explanation:

In the era of 15th centaury the majority of wealth of the world was located in the countries near the Indian ocean. So, the route through the Indian ocean gave Europeans access to this huge wealth and trade. Using the Indian Ocean route, European Empires were able to trade without using middlemen, resulting in lower prices, boosting the economy.

i believe it is capitalists.  

b. the passage of the equal rights amendment  

explanation:

this mean that anything that someone else could do they could do