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An Unholy Traffic: Slave Trading in the Civil War w/ Robert K.D. Colby
09/29/2025
An Unholy Traffic: Slave Trading in the Civil War w/ Robert K.D. Colby
The American Civil War and the end of slavery in the US may seem like one and the same from our modern perspective, but for those living through the conflict, the abolition of human bondage was anything but certain. Even into the last days of the war, slave traders in Confederate-held cities continued to auction off human beings, realizing handsome profits as they imposed violence and family separation on their subjects. In his new book, , Robert K.D. Colby brings together a wide variety of sources to offer up a never-before seen look into the slave trade during the American Civil War. In this episode, he joins Ben and guest co-host Tim Talbott to explain how the slave trade evolved, why slave traders remained confident in the future of slavery even during the Civil War, and how the combined trauma of slavery and war impacted enslaved Americans long after their freedom had been secured. is Assistant Professor of History at Ole Miss who specializes in the Civil War and the history of slavery. His newest book, An Unholy Traffic was published by Oxford University Press in April 2024 and is available in and audiobook. Tim Talbott is the Chief Administrative Officer for the in Fredericksburg, Virginia and founding member and President of the . Tim holds a MA in Public History from Appalachian State University, where Ben had the great fortune to study alongside him. Relevant Links: · · · This is a rebroadcast of RTN #308, which originally aired on June 17, 2024. Edited by Ben Sawyer.
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