Despite common beliefs held my many historians today, slavery was, in fact, profitable. The market value alone of slaves suggests profitability. In 1815, a typical U.S. slave was worth $250; by 1839 the price was $500; and by 1860 it had climbed to $900. Prices of slaves would not have quadrupled if they were not a means of profit for the owner. The average price of slaves quadrupled because the average Southern crop production per slave quadrupled. Slaves increased in value because they produced more in salable crops. Three alternative paths all lead to this same conclusion: slavery was…
