What was the internal slave trade and how was it conducted?

The internal slave trade, also known as the domestic slave trade, was the trade of enslaved people within the United States. The trade was most significant after 1808, when the importation of slaves from Africa was prohibited by federal law. The internal slave trade was conducted through a network of traders who bought and sold enslaved people at auctions or through private sales. Enslaved people were often separated from their families and transported long distances to new locations. The trade was particularly devastating for enslaved families, who were often separated from each other and sold to different owners. The internal slave trade was a key component of the Southern economy, which relied heavily on the labor of enslaved people to produce cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane. The trade was a brutal and inhumane institution that treated human beings as property.