Slavery
Slaves were often sold at auction. This painting of a slave auction in the United States shows well-dressed gentlemen selling black slaves to white masters.
In the 1800s, cotton became the main crop in the American South. Large plantations used black slaves to grow and pick cotton.
Slaves usually lived in slave quarters that were separate from their master’s house. The slaves often slept in a single room
In 1861, the first year of the American Civil War, 11 slave states (states that allowed slavery) withdrew from the Union to form the Confederacy. Some slave states chose to stay in the Union. The Union also included free states and free territories (which did not allow slavery).
Abolitionists were people who opposed slavery and wanted to free slaves. This picture shows an abolitionist freeing a slave.
