Series 5: Broke by the War: Letters of a Slave Trader Research Documents and Manuscripts, 1784-2009, and undated
Scope and Contents
Holds photocopied primary and secondary research materials obtained from various archives on Ziba B. Oakes and A.J. McElveen, with annotated drafts, newpaper articles, images, transcripts of letters and Drago's correspondence with publishers. Folders are organized in alphabetical order.
Dates
- Creation: 1784-2009, and undated
Creator
- From the Collection: Drago, Edmund L. (Person)
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Full Extent
From the Collection: 15.25 linear feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Abstract
"Broke by the War is a collection of more than 140 letters written between 1852 and 1857 by South Carolina slave trader A. J. McElveen to his employer Ziba B. Oakes, a prosperous Charleston broker. The correspondence provides an intimate look into the world of slave trading, from the economic aspects of prices, shipping, supply sources, and financing to the impact on those involved, including the breakup of slave families, the pursuit of runaways, and the various roles played by doctors, lawyers, bankers, and planters in this abominable business.
Edited and introduced by Edmund L. Drago, McElveen's letters give the modern reader an opportunity to view Old South slave trading through the eyes of a representative participant. As Drago recounts, the Civil War decimated McElveen's finances and left him, as described years later by a credit investigator, simply as "broke by the war―old man."
From Amazon.com book description
Repository Details
Part of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture Repository
125 Bull Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424 United States
843-953-7608
averyresearchcenter@cofc.edu