Montgomery's Slave Traders
MONTGOMERY'S
SLAVE TRADERS
Vast plantations with large populations emerged in Alabama's
Black Belt beginning in 820. Montgomery's proximity to the
Black Belt made the city a center for slave trading in Alabama.
From the river, down Commerce Street, and to this block, slave
traders worked next door to ship owners and other business
establishments. E. Barnard & Co. operated at 88 Commerce Street.
Mason Harwell, one of Montgomery's most active slave traders,
kept an office at 21 Market Street (now Dexter Avenue). On a
single day, Harwell sold hundreds of enslaved men, women, and
children, alongside livestock. Across the South, slave traders
were generally among the wealthiest and most influential citizens
in their communities.
EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE 2013