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最大的奴隸拍賣會
1859年3月3日
這場拍賣會已經廣告了好幾個星期。薩瓦那市裡的每一間旅館都住滿了可能的買家。在拍賣會開始的前幾天，這些買家都到賽馬場去看那些即將被出售的奴隸。當買家強迫奴隸張開嘴巴，檢查他們的牙齒，而且還捏他們的手臂與大腿測試肌肉的強度時，奴隸們可說是被羞辱了。奴隸們不發一語，除非他們想要被檢查他們的買家買走。他們知道他們全家人可以被同一個買家買走，但是所謂全家人，是指先生與妻子，媽媽跟小孩，而不是兄弟、姊妹，或是父母。有些奴隸還哀求買家買下他們全家人。
The sale had been advertised for several weeks. Every hotel in Savannah was filled with potential buyers. In the days before the auction, potential buyers went to the racetrack to look over the people for sale. The slaves were humiliated when the buyers pulled open their mouths to see their teeth and they pinched their arms and legs to check for muscle strength. The slaves said nothing, unless they hoped to be bought by the person examining them. They knew they were to be sold in families, but "family" was defined as husband and wife, mother and young child, not brother or sister or parent. Some tried to convince prospective buyers to purchase their entire family.
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