Broke by the War: Letters of a Slave Trader - Hardcover

McElveen, A. J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0872497631 ISBN 13: 9780872497634

Publisher: Univ of South Carolina Pr, 1991

Synopsis

Broke by the War is a collection of more than 140 letters written between 1852 and 1857 by South Carolina slave trader A. J. McElveen to his employer Z. B. Oakes, a prosperous Charleston broker. The correspondence provides an intimate look into the world of slave trading, from the economic aspects of prices, shipping, supply sources, and financing to the impact on those involved, including the breakup of slave families, the pursuit of runaways, and the various roles played by doctors, lawyers, bankers, and planters in this abominable business.

Edited and introduced by Edmund L. Drago, McElveen's letters give the modern reader an opportunity to view Old South slave trading through the eyes of a representative participant. As Drago recounts, the Civil War decimated McElveen's finances and left him, as described years later by a credit investigator, simply as "broke by the war--old man."

About this title

Reviews

Broke by the War is a collection of letters written by slave trader McElveen to Z.B. Oakes, a slave broker. The letters, written between 1852 and 1857, were taken as souvenirs in 1865 by a journalist who presented them to William Lloyd Garrison. Subsequently, the Garrison family donated them to the Boston Public Library. They provide insight into the economic side of the domestic slave trade, discussing prices, shipping, supply sources, and financing. Since this is only one side of the correspondence, much is excluded. McElveen's complaints, apologies, and requests for advice make for tedious reading, but the editor's introduction and notes are useful. For libraries with strong collections on slavery/the old South.
- Melvin L. Grotberg, Hobbs P.L., N.M.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Univ of South Carolina Pr
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0872497631
• ISBN 13: 9780872497634
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 152
• Editor: Drago Edmund L.