North Capitol in Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
The Nashville Slave Market
This area was home to the institutions that were an integral part of the enslavement in Tennessee: banks that loaned planters money needed to buy the enslaved; hardware stores that provided farming tools, clothing, and firms that protected the planters' investments in their enslaved human chattel. The slave trade played a vital role in the city's economic development during the 19th century. This growth came as the result of daily, weekly, and constant emotional trauma for the families who endured the slave trade.
Erected 2018 by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 3A 237.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Historical Commission series list.
Location. 36° 9.982′ N, 86° 46.85′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in North Capitol. Marker is at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 4th Avenue North, on the right when traveling west on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Nashville TN 37219, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Freedman's Savings and Trust Company Bank / Duncan Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); Morris Memorial Building / Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Nashville Alumnae Chapter (within shouting distance of this marker); To the Memory of the Father of the Church in Tennessee (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); "Western Harmony" (about 400 feet away); Transfer Station Site (about 500 feet away); Andrew and Rachael Jackson (about 500 feet away); The First Methodist Church (about 500 feet away); Witness Walls (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nashville.
More about this marker. Learotha Williams, an associate professor of African-American and public history at Tennessee State University, worked in 2018 to have the historical marker placed to recognize the Nashville slave market. Prof. Williams runs the North Nashville Heritage Project and says the idea for the marker came from his students. They were amazed there was no memorial for slaves. Williams was part of a group of community members and students who wrote the proposal. The marker application was approved in June, 2018.
Additional keywords. Human trafficking
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 24, 2020, by Lugnuts of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 2,542 times since then and 268 times this year. Last updated on February 25, 2020, by Lugnuts of Germantown, Wisconsin. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 26, 2021, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on January 22, 2022, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.