Slave Auctioning Process

After spending time searching through many areas of the internet I have come across many interesting facts regarding Cheapside’s dark, but intriguing past. Due to the state of Kentucky’s location slavery was an extremely prominent way of life for most African Americans. Specifically in Kentucky, there was the town of Lexington. Lexington became known as the largest slave-trading locality in the state. Cheapside was also known as one of the most well known of the slave market districts in the South.
The process of auctioning a human being was not only wrong, but horrible to watch. Slave auctions could be compared to the type of art auctions we have today. The “item” is placed on a platform and those who are bidding raise their hands or paddles as the bid increases. Although unlike in art auctions it is not a auction of material things, but human beings. The men who were organizing the slave auction at hand would bring the auction to order then force wither men, women, or even infants up onto a platform to be sold. Slave auctions often broke up many families and loved ones. Although at some auctions, what could be thought of as “humanity” were sometimes displayed. The auctioneers would sometimes say that the slaves currently on the platform were to be sold as a “family.” That is to say; a man would not be parted from his wife, or a mother from a very young child. Once a slave was sold they were now the property of another human being. Not only were their actions controlled, but every aspect of their personal lives as well. They were to always do as they were told without question. Needless to say this particular way of life was wrong and unjust. As a result the Civil War occurred.