This landmark in Montgomery, Alabama, was erected by the City Council in 1885 over one of the oldest city wells, known as "Big Basin." The fountain, made in Paris, France, is topped by a statue of Hebe, Goddess of Youth and Cupbearer to the Gods. Visitors have an excellent view of the Alabama State Capitol at the opposite end of Dexter Avenue, the heart of downtown Montgomery.
This square served as the local Slave Market through the mid-19th century. It is reminiscent of old slave markets in other American cities such as Charleston, Boston, Providence and New York City.
At these markes, slaves of all ages were auctioned, along with land and livestock, standing in line to be inspected. Public posters advertised sales and included gender, approximate age, first name (slaves didn't always have last names), skill, price, complexion and owner's name.
Virtually all people today agree that slavery was an unconscionable evil. Yet many are unaware that it was more than just a white-owner versus black-slave institution. A large number of free Negros owned slaves, in fact, in numbers disproportionate to their representation in society at large. For example, in New Orleans alone over 3,000 free Negros, 28% of the total in that city, owned slaves. Altogether, only 4.8 percent of southerners were slave owners, including both black and white.
The issue was complicated farther by the fact that it was not uncommon for slaves to have straight sandy hair, blue eyes and fair complexions. Some were of as little as 1/64th African decent - or 98.4% white.
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