Description
Author and local historian Trammell relates the history of Richmond, Virginia's slave trade which took place on the city's 15th Street, also known at the time as Wall Street. While the author does not spare the details of the horrifying business conducted at the Wall Street concentration of auction houses and slave dealers, he also explains the economics and growth of the slave trade of Richmond, perspectives from observers, and the legacy of Wall Street. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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In many ways, the story of bondage in Virginia is the story of the state itself...Richmond's 15th Street was known as Wall Street in antebellum times, and like its New York counterpart, it was a center of commerce. But the business done here was unspeakable and the scene heart wrenching. With over sixty-nine slave dealers and auction houses, the Wall Street area saw tens of millions of dollars and countless human lives change hands, fueling the southern economy. Local historian and author Jack Trammell traces the history of the city's slave trade, from the origins of African slavery in Virginia to its destruction at the end of the Civil War. Stories of seedy slave speculators and corrupt traders are placed alongside detailed accounts of the economic, political and cultural impact of a system representing the most immense, concentrated human suffering in our nation's history.
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