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within the United States was still legal. The children of slaves were also considered slaves, so the institution not only continued but it grew. There were about a million slaves in the United States in 1808, when the trans-Atlantic slave trade was abolished; that figure grew to 4 million by 1860. SLAVE LIFE Whether they came from Africa or were born in the United States, slaves had very few rights. Typically, it was illegal for slaves to testify in court, to be taught to read or write, to own property of their own, and even to marry. In addition, slaves had to endure poor living conditions and physical abuse. Many slave owners justified their positions by arguing that black people were less intelligent and trustworthy than whites and that they needed a firm owner to take care of them. Thus, some owners bragged that they provided slaves with a blanket, a pair of new shoes and two new sets of clothing—one for summer and one for winter—each year. They also provided their housing. The slaves were not quite as impressed with the quality of the goods and accommodations provided for them. Frederick Douglass, a

Scan here for a short clip on the horrors of

the domestic slave trade.

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Fighting Back Against Slavery