Soul By Soul

Walter Johnson's book is a powerful examination of the domestic slave market in the antebellum South. Using a variety of sources, he describes the goals and practices of the three parties involved in the transaction: the slave traders, the slave buyers, and the slaves themselves. In the process, he demonstrates how purchasing a slave was an expression of status as well as an acquisition of labor, as slaveowners used slaves as a way of representing themselves within Southern society and were judged by their ability to assess slaves and exploit them properly. By highlighting the complex nuances of the relationships within the slave trade, Johnson has written a book that is essential reading for anyone wishing to learn about slavery or the antebellum South.