Description

Many people believe that slavery was largely an agricultural issue, but thousands of African slaves graded tracks, constructed bridges, and blasted tunnels for the railroads both before and during the Civil War. They moved stone and soil while also hauling logs and cutting wood. The railroads also employed skilled slaves, particularly blacksmiths, stonemasons, and carpenters. A slaveholder may swiftly transport slaves from one region of the South to another at their whim.