Sustaining Slavery: Mapping Kentucky’s Support for the Domestic Slave Trade

Utilize the interactive map to learn about the locations and operations of Ohio Valley businesses that fed, clothed, transported, and processed the products of plantations in Kentucky and down the Mississippi Valley. Reference the keyword and commodities indexes to search for terms connected to enslaved labor. Discover the research methods implemented and source material used throughout the project.

Explore this digital resource, which intends to provide a broader understanding of slavery, the commodification and exploitation of over four million Black enslaved people, and the legacy and implications of this institution on our world today.

Research and writing by: Dorian Cleveland, University of Kentucky; Georgia Coats, Smith College; and Patrick Lewis, Filson Historical Society