It’s been nearly 200 years since slavery was abolished in the United States, but the legacy of slavery still looms large in our country. This legacy manifests itself in many ways, from the wealth gap between white and black Americans to the disproportionate incarceration rates of people of color. It’s important to understand the facts about slavery, both past and present, in order to ensure that we can combat the effects of this ugly part of our history.

One of the most important facts about slavery is that it was a critical component of the American economy. Up until the Civil War, slavery played a major role in the production of goods and services, providing the labor that powered the American economy. From cotton plantations to coal mines, the manual labor of enslaved people was integral to the functioning of the economy. It’s important to understand the economic role of slavery in order to deconstruct the systems that persist today.

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source: Phys.org