The Commonwealth of Virginia was a protuberant part of the Confederate States during the American Civil War. Virginia, a slave-holding state, held a continuously number one role of slave ownership, carrying umbers as high as 500,000 slaves. Richmond, Virginia the capital of the commonwealth state and also holding the position of the capital of the confederacy. Shockhoe Bottom was the center of Richmond’s slave trade and played an essential role during the peak years of the nation’s interstate slave trade. Richmond’s slave trade industry was important to New Orleans between 1830 and 1865. Slave-trade auction houses,slave jails, and residences of the most prominent slave traders were scattered throughout Shockhoe. It was a major source for the New Orleans trade, in which slaves destined for the Louisiana sugarcane fields were sold. The vigorous work made the demographics tilt to 60 percent male. Many of those slaves were transported by ship to New Orleans. …show more content…
He was fortunate enough to be owned by Thomas Prosser amongst his siblings; his two brothers Solomon and Martin Prosser. Gabriel and his brother Solomon were trained to be blacksmiths, which made his value increase 55% more than the average slave. He was worth $2,000 which in today’s money is about $800,000. What also added to his value was his ability read and write. Many historians believed that he taught himself to read with the Holy Bible. His stature at the age of twenty was a man that stood 6’2 and was a respected slave. With his amazing skill in artisan, he was hired out locally within