Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review“The best book ever written on role of the interstate slave trade in the economic history of the United States—both north and south. Absolutely essential.”—Walter Johnson, author of
River of Dark Dreams: Slavery and Empire in the Cotton Kingdom -- Walter Johnson
“Shattering the myth of a neo-feudal, backward South, Calvin Schermerhorn deftly reveals the entrepreneurial slave traders who helped to develop American capitalism. Clear and cogent,
The Business of Slavery illuminates the flow of humans, treated as commodities, passing through innovative conduits of transportation and finance to constitute a nation’s perverse wealth.”—Alan Taylor, author of
The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia, 1772–1832 -- Alan Taylor
“In this powerful book, Calvin Schermerhorn revolutionizes how we view the domestic slave trade. The commodification of enslaved Americans not only drove the southern economy, but fueled capitalist development in the North and Europe. Splendidly written and tautly argued, this book is a singular achievement.”—Robert Gudmestad, author of
Steamboats and the Rise of the Cotton Kingdom -- Robert Gudmestad
“Historians have devoted considerable attention to the domestic slave trade, but the strategy of looking at the evolution of representative slave trading firms offers a fresh approach.”—John Majewski, University of California, Santa Barbara -- John Majewski
