The demand for slave labor increased dramatically in the first decade
of the 19th century due to the invention of the cotton gin and the
consequent expansion of cotton plantations in the South. In 1808 it
became illegal to import slaves from Africa, however Maryland and
Virginia were experiencing a “superabundance” of slaves at this
time and slave owners were faced with the options of renting,
freeing, or selling their excess labor. Freed slaves gravitated to
large cities, and by 1810, Baltimore, MD, had the largest free
African American population anywhere in the US. Baltimore was also a
major center for the sale of slaves between 1800-1860. “Thousands
of families and individuals were shipped from the city on their
‘final passage’ and almost certain separation in the South. The
market was vast, the players plentiful, and the victims plenteous.
This is their story.”
