Published June 29, 2021
On June 29, our Encyclopedia Virginia presented this conversation with Joshua Rothman, author of The Ledger and the Chain: How the Domestic Slave Trade Shaped America, and Patti Miller, editor of Encyclopedia Virginia. In his compelling new book, Rothman reveals the harrowing forgotten story of America’s internal slave trade by tracing the rise of Franklin and Armfield, the most infamous and influential slave-trading firm. He examines how Franklin and Armfield shaped slavery and the nation itself, ultimately becoming the largest and most powerful slave-trading operation in American history.
Co-sponsored by Virginia Humanities and the Alexandria Black History Museum.
