Often those of us who live in the North grew up with the idea that slavery was something that happened in the South, and that we fought a war to stop it. However, the truth is not that simple. All parts of America benefited from slavery, and that continues to this day. A friend recently pointed out that Maine's shipbuilding tradition has roots in slavery as well. Many of the ships built in this state were used to transport people stolen from Africa and brought here as slaves.
The 1872 Vicksburg & Brunswick Depot, a passenger and freight station in Eufala, served the Eufala and Georgia Central rail lines, among others.
Wall Street around 1850.
To read about how slave-built infrastructure still creates wealth in the US, click here. To read about how urban inequality in the U.S. can be traced to unresolved issues and injustices lingering from the slave trade era, click here. This article is an excerpt from Carl Anthony's The Earth, The City, and the Hidden Narrative of Race, a valuable resource on this topic. To learn more about Maine's particular role in the slave trade, check out this Maine Calling podcast by MPBN. The North was never a shining beacon of equity, and that is an important myth to unlearn as Mainers striving for an antiracist future. Reconciling with the past (and making reparations) is the way forward. - Chris Ford + Adelaide Fuller