This piece is a reproduction of an ad taken out in the Kentucky Newspaper by Slave Trader William F. Talbott. Talbott was a major player in the Slave trading business, often taking out ads in the local paper as a means of purchasing slaves. Talbott would, at times, purchase over 100 slaves at a time. This is a considerable sum, and illustrates how lucrative the slave trading business was at the time. More importantly, it illustrates the immense value of slaves in the mid-19th century. This piece is speaks to the economics of slavery, and if you did the math, you'd realize that in the1800's slavery was by far the most lucrative business in the modern world.