What is meant by being sold "down river" or "sold south"?
1 Answer
To be sold down the river is to be betrayed, Slave prices in the deep South of the United States escalated and many slaves were "sold down the river" by their masters.
Explanation:
Slave importation in the US ended in 1808 so new slaves had to come from the existing families of slaves already in America. Increasing cotton demand increased the cost of Labor (slaves).
The selling of slaves broke up families as different members were sold to different places. Many slaves went to the hard labor of growing Cotton.
Slaves would have been sold to cover a Master's debts or raising money or death of a Master. Slaves were capital assets not people.
Slaves would have perceived their sale at auction to a unknown Master as a betrayal and a threat their well being and family.
The "river" referred to often meant the Mississippi but it really meant the unknown. Rivers were major transportation routes in early America.
