In 1818, a twelve-year-old girl named Chloe sold at a New Orleans auction for $1,800 — more than the prime field hands who sold the same day for $1,250 each. The buyers called it the “fancy trade.” Enslaved girls chosen for their appearance were auctioned at premium prices, explicitly for forced concubinage, using coded language everyone in the room understood. New Orleans sold over 135,000 people across 50+ documented locations. The bills of sale still exist. Chloe’s last name was never recorded. #fancytrade #blackhistory #AmericanHistory #slavery
In 1818, a twelve-year-old girl named Chloe sold at a New Orleans auction for $1,800 — more than the prime field hands who sold the same day for $1,250 each. The buyers called it the “fancy trade.” Enslaved girls chosen for their appearance were auctioned at premium prices, explicitly for forced concubinage, using coded language everyone in the room understood. New Orleans sold over 135,000 people across 50+ documented locations. The bills of sale still exist. Chloe’s last name was never recorded. #fancytrade #blackhistory #AmericanHistory #slavery
