Existing comment:
Business of Slavery
Slavery was deeply entwined in the political, social, and -- especially -- the economic fabric of the United States.
In 1860, there were nearly 4 million enslaved black people in the United States. They were valued as assets with a comparative worth in today's dollars of:
* $3.7 trillion -- value of Enslaved People
* $1.1 trillion -- Value of all U.S. Manufacturing
* 500 million -- Value of all U.S. Banks
* Over $10 trillion -- Estimated value of labor provided by enslaved people between 1619 and 1865. |