In this illuminating text, the origins of the slave trade in Africa and the effects of the practice of slavery on the political and economic history of the United States are explored. King Cotton, the slave hierarchy on southern plantations, the relationship of the slaveholders and slaves, the slave codes that regulated the absolute control of slaves, the ensuing slave rebellions, and the abolitionist movement and those who spoke out against the atrocities of slavery are among the many topics examined in this comprehensive historical resource. An informative timeline highlights key events and facts.