Sold Down the River: Slavery in the Lower Chattahoochee Valley of Alabama and Georgia
- 276 pages
- 10 hours of reading
In the New World, the slave trade and the commodities produced by enslaved individuals generated immense wealth, reshaping societies and fostering new ones. Slavery in North America evolved from modest beginnings to form the foundation of two powerful slave societies: the United States and the Confederate States of America. The expansion of slavery into the Confederacy in 1861 marked a pivotal moment in the early history of the American republic. This book focuses on a specific region—the lower Chattahoochee River Valley between Alabama and Georgia. Although geographically central to the South, this valley was one of the newest parts of the Old South, with only thirty-seven years between the founding of Columbus, Georgia, and the fall of the Confederacy. During this period, the valley developed a dynamic slave society marked by significant demographic, territorial, and economic growth. Counties in Georgia and Alabama became places where everything had a price, and property rights in enslaved individuals underpinned economic activities. The narrative explores the microcosm of slavery in this archetypical southern locale, drawing on primary sources to illuminate its impact on individual lives. Published in collaboration with the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Troup County Historical Society.