Forks of the Road is small park on the northeast side of Natchez that marks the spot of what was once the second largest slave market in the United States. An interpretative exhibit tells the story of the slave trade.
Slavery, which has been practiced in almost every country of the world, is one of the greatest blights in the history of mankind and one of the most misunderstood. Although the majority of slaves were Africans and the majority of slave owners were whites of European descent, it was far more complex than a simple black and white situation. There were also white slaves with fair skin, blue eyes and sandy hair. Slave owners included whites, American Indians, and also thousands of free blacks.
The politically correct (albeit historically inaccurate) concept of slavery puts all the guilt on one race and makes all members of the other race victims. As new economic realities, as well as conscience, brought a gradual phasing out of slavery in the northern states, most of the northern slaves were not freed but were "sold down the river" to southern plantations. Actually far more free blacks lived in the South than in the North. Some northern states were so racist that they did not allow blacks within their borders whether slave or free.
To those who have an interest in learning more about this tragic chapter in American history, I highly recommend a book which I saw on the shelves of a bookstore in Natchez, "The Myths of American Slavery.
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Also, check out my Confederate blog: http://confederatedigest.com
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