Forks of the Road

As Southern states became slave societies, the need for more labor grew exponentially. Natchez’s Forks of the Road became the second largest slave market in the Deep South. Slave owners came from across the nation to Natchez to buy more slaves, many of whom were sold away from their loved ones. 

Pictured above: A hand drawn map of Forks of the Road using ink on paper. The ink is blue and the paper has yellowed with age. Forks of the Road appears in the center of the drawing, where all roads come together.  

Credit: MDAH, Natchez Municipal Records, 1795-1982