Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Law and Order in 19th Century America (Module 53)
This module documents the international and domestic traffic in slaves in Britain’s New World colonies and the United States, providing important primary source material on the business aspect of the slave trade. Collections in this module are sourced from the Rhode Island Historical Society, Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the U.S. National Archives. In addition to records on the slave trade, this module also includes a series of letters received by the Attorney General. These letters cover the slave trade, runaway slaves, Reconstruction Acts and other key 19th century legal issues such as land claims, military affairs, piracy, and mail theft.