# HIST 134A Lec 9: African American Expreience in Southern Cities ## Cities at the Nexus of Slave Trade ### Mapping

the Domestic Slave Trade Slaves were forcibly moved from upper south to the deep south. Sometimes travell ed as owners moved to take advantage of cotton boom. Others were sold at auction . Congress outlawed Atlantic slave trade but domestic slave trade expands as a res ult. Slave trade was 15% of the south's economy. Because of massive influx of sl aves, Southern cities developed slave trading firms/institutions vs. informal au ctions. Auxiliary businesses centered around this trade. [See slide] Forced to sing. Had to look healthy to be marketable. Tried to no avail to avoid splitting up families. ## Urban Slavery Not all slaves were transported to plantations. 6% of slave pop lived in cities. Many were apprentices to skilled laborers, dominated the building industries. ### Lifestyle Patterns On the plantations, slaves sought to work in the house. In the cities, the slave s preferred to work outside of the home to avoid the surveillance of their maste r. Increasingly allowed to live in their own homes. (stables, shed, shacks). Sla ves dressed better than their rural counterparts. ## Free Blacks in Cities