9781422274194

Throughout the South, black Americans were bought and sold each week at auction houses like this one in Georgia.

Slavery existed in America from the colonial era until the institution was ended in 1865. While today slavery is often thought of as a primarily southern institution, at one time slaves could be found in every colony or state. Slaves lived in both urban and rural areas, and worked on both small and large farms. They did many vital jobs: tending crops, woodworking or metalworking, and even caring for the children of their white masters. In the United States, slaves were considered to be the property of their owners, little more than livestock. They could be bought and sold without any input into the matter. Families were broken apart and slaves sold across state lines, never to be reunited.

11

Escaping from Slavery