4. New York had the Second Busiest Slave Market in the Country

Meal Market became one of the most profitable slave markets in the country – second only to Charleston, South Carolina. New African slaves arriving at Pier 17, now the popular tourist destination South Street Seaport, were taken to Meal Market where they were auctioned off. The business of slave trading became an integral part of New York’s economy. Its profits tricked into the city’s networks of lawyers, clerks, dockworkers, carpenters, and more.