The names and companies of the most brutal Indian Slave Traders After 1808 with slave testimonies
Updated: Feb 26
There is never the proven documentation presented comprehensively regarding the Indian slave traders so the myth is perpetuated of Africans replacing Indians as the main slave source. Well those days are OVER!
"Isaac Franklin and John Armfield Indian Slaves"
Isaac Franklin and John Armfield were two American slave traders who operated in the early 19th century. They are particularly infamous for their involvement in the Indian slave trade, which saw them exploit the vulnerability of indigenous populations for their own financial gain. In this chapter, we will examine the life and times of Franklin and Armfield, and explore their involvement in the Indian slave trade in greater detail.
Isaac Franklin was born in Virginia in 1789, and grew up to become a wealthy businessman and slave trader. Along with his partner John Armfield, he founded the firm of Franklin and Armfield in Alexandria, Virginia. The firm quickly became one of the most successful slave trading operations in the country, and was responsible for the transportation and sale of thousands of enslaved Africans and African Americans to the Deep South.
While the African slave trade was banned in the United States in 1808, the trade in Native American slaves was still legal. This led Franklin and Armfield to turn their attention to the indigenous populations of the Southeastern United States. They saw an opportunity to exploit the vulnerable position of these populations, who were facing pressure from white settlers and the US government to cede their lands and relocate to Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma.
Franklin and Armfield began to purchase Native American slaves from various tribes in the Southeast, including the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole peoples. These slaves were often captured in raids on neighboring tribes, or were sold to Franklin and Armfield by their own people in exchange for goods and weapons.
The conditions of the Indian slave trade were brutal. Native American slaves were often forced to march long distances in chains, and were subjected to physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their captors. Once they arrived in Alexandria, they were held in large, overcrowded slave pens while they waited to be sold at auction.
Despite the inhumane conditions of the Indian slave trade, it proved to be highly profitable for Franklin and Armfield. Native American slaves were sold for high prices, and the firm's profits soared. In 1836, Franklin and Armfield sold 1,700 enslaved Native Americans to buyers in Mississippi and Louisiana, earning a profit of $150,000 (equivalent to roughly $4 million today).
The Indian slave trade came to an end in the late 1830s, as the US government began to forcibly remove Native American populations from the Southeast and relocate them to Indian Territory. However, the legacy of Franklin and Armfield's exploitation of Native American populations lived on. Many of the descendants of enslaved Native Americans continue to suffer from the intergenerational trauma caused by the brutal conditions of the Indian slave trade.
The story of Isaac Franklin and John Armfield and their involvement in the Indian slave trade is a dark chapter in American history. Their exploitation of vulnerable indigenous populations for financial gain is a reminder of the deep inequalities and injustices that have characterized the country's history. It is important to remember these atrocities and to work towards creating a more just and equitable society for all.
Footnotes:
Franklin and Armfield were not the only slave traders involved in the Indian slave trade. Other traders, such as John R. Bell and Jesse Franklin Graves, were also active in the trade.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 provided the legal framework for the forced removal of Native American populations from the Southeast to Indian Territory. The removal of the Cherokee people in 1838, known as the Trail of Tears, is one of the most infamous examples of this policy.
The legacy of the Indian slave trade has been explored in recent years by scholars such as Christina Snyder, who has written extensively on the topic.
