I found chapters 4-6 to be very informative on Richmond’s history in regards to the Slave Trade and segregation in the United States. In past history classes, I have learned about how Richmond and New Orleans were the two biggest players in the slave trade, but the details and excerpts from this book have opened up a whole new side of information for me. I thought it was important that Campbell used so many primary sources of differing opinions in these chapters, especially about slavery. As we discussed in class, it’s hard to relate to information when it gets told to you from someone else’s perspective. However, I thought reading the stories from people who experienced the slave trade, especially Dickens, made it feel so much more real. I also liked the detail and infographics used throughout the novel because I was able to grasp the ideas that Campbell brought up in a different light, specifically the chart on page 102 in chapter 6.

A repeating question I had throughout these chapters was how people were so unaware of what was happening in their city, state, and their country overall. Even twenty years ago citizens of Richmond were just beginning to acknowledge their history and the role they played in the evolution of slavery in the United States. I think Campbell did a good job touching upon important historical facts while simultaneously including information relevant to real people’s stories. Reading first-hand how people dealt with this history, the sacrifices they made, and the pain they endured, made me realize even more how important it is for outsiders to understand and learn this history, even if we were not a part of it.