In many ways, the story of bondage in Virginia is the story of the state itself...

Richmond's 15th Street was known as Wall Street in antebellum times, and like its New York counterpart, it was a center of commerce. But the business done here was unspeakable and the scene heart wrenching. With over sixty-nine slave dealers and auction houses, the Wall Street area saw tens of millions of dollars and countless human lives change hands, fueling the southern economy. Local historian and author Jack Trammell traces the history of the city's slave trade, from the origins of African slavery in Virginia to its destruction at the end of the Civil War. Stories of seedy slave speculators and corrupt traders are placed alongside detailed accounts of the economic, political and cultural impact of a system representing the most immense, concentrated human suffering in our nation's history.

Jack Trammell was born in Berea, Kentucky, and is descended from generations of Appalachian farmers who migrated from Normandy through England and Virginia. He is a professor, researcher and writer, as well as a small family farmer currently residing in central Virginia with his wife and seven children (Daniel, Alec, Bethany, Maddie, Mary, Chris and Hannah, and of course, Audrie!). He has more than twenty-one books to his credit, ranging from textbooks for students in gifted programs (math and history) to award-winning Appalachian writing (Jesse Stuart poetry award, etc.). His published credits include research articles in education and sociology journals (related to disability studies), as well as hundreds of articles, short stories and poems. For almost seven years, he wrote a regular military history column for the Washington Times. His education includes a BA in political science at Grove City College, a master's degree in history education at Virginia Commonwealth University, a special education certificate from the University of Virginia and a PhD again from VCU. Most recently, he was a visiting scholar at the DuPont-funded Summer Seminar at the National Center for the Humanities.