The cruelty of slavery was depicted in this image of a black family on the auction block in Richmond, Virginia.
Slave sales often broke families apart with individual members going to the highest bidder.
Read more about the "
Impact of Slavery Upon Slave Families
" and "
Spousal Separation Under Slavery
."
Slave Auction
engraving from the London News, February 16, 1861
Click image to enlarge.
Copyright 2002 The Chicago Historical Society
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