French Quarter in Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Slave Auctions

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 28, 2019

1. Slave Auctions Marker Side 1

Inscription.
Charleston was one of the largest slave trading cities in the U.S. In the 1800s, the area around the Old Exchange Building was one of the most common sites of downtown slave auctions. Along with real estate and other personal property, thousands of enslaved people were sold here as early as 1770s. Most auctions occurred just north of the Exchange, though some also took place inside. Merchants also sold slaves at nearby stores on Broad, Chalmers, State, and East Bay Streets.

Enslaved Africans were usually sold at wharves along the city harbor. Some Africans were sold near the Exchange, but most people sold here were born in the U.S., making this a key site in the domestic slave trade. In 1856, the city banned auctions of slaves and other goods from the Exchange. Indoor sales grew elsewhere, and Ryan's Mart, a complex of buildings between Queen and Chalmers streets, became the main downtown auction site.

Erected 2016 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History; sponsored by the Old Exchange Building and Friends of the Old Exchange Building. (Marker Number 10-91.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1856.

Location. 32° 46.63′ N, 79° 55.615′ W. Marker is in Charleston, South Carolina, in Charleston County. It is in the French Quarter. It is at the intersection of East Bay Street and Gillon Street, on the right when traveling north on East Bay Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Charleston SC 29401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Historic Charleston

and in the Lowcountry.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

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the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Lee Cohen Harby (within shouting distance of this marker); The Old Exchange (within shouting distance of this marker); One Broad Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Convention on Ratification (within shouting distance of this marker); Farmers and Exchange Bank (within shouting distance of this marker); Walker, Evans & Cogswell Company (within shouting distance of this marker); Second Bank of the United States (within shouting distance of this marker); As Old as Charleston (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charleston.

Also see . . . Old Slave Mart Museum. (Submitted on July 7, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Additional keywords. human trafficking

Slave Auctions Marker Side 2 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 28, 2019

2. Slave Auctions Marker Side 2

Slave Auctions Marker looking east image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 28, 2019

3. Slave Auctions Marker looking east

Credits. This page was last revised on May 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 7, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,724 times since then and 142 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 7, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.