Robert K. Nelson, Edward L. Ayers, Justin Madron, & Nathaniel Ayers, The Forced Migration of Enslaved People, 1810-1860

This interactive data visualization of the forced migration of enslaved people from 1810 to 1860 powerfully illustrates the relocation of nearly one million enslaved men, women, and children, two-thirds of whom were bought and sold in America’s slave market. On the website you can click on the map to access statistics about the forced migration of enslaved people in specific counties and states. It also depicts where enslaved individuals were moved to and from through the American slave trade. Additionally, markers throughout the map provide firsthand accounts from enslaved people about their experiences with the slave trade. The website also features a bubble plot graph that allows users to explore the population density and forced migration for a county, state, or the South as a whole. The data reveals that many counties transitioned from being net importers to net exporters of enslaved people once the population density of enslaved people reached around 20 per square mile. The slave trade within the United States surged during this period as slaveholders who believed they had a “surplus” of labor sought to profit by selling enslaved individuals. Additionally, the natural increase in the enslaved population through childbirth led to further sales, often resulting in the horrific separation of families.