Sale of 440 Negroes: Mass Slave Auction at Race Course

Horrifying historical document: a slave auction advertisement announcing the sale of 440 enslaved people at a race course, inviting prospective buyers to inspect human beings "from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. until day of sale." Posted by J. Bryan at Johnson Square, this chilling poster advertises a mass auction where hundreds of African Americans would be displayed, examined, and sold like livestock. The casual placement of a horse advertisement at the bottom—selling "A STYLISH NORTHERN HORSE"—underscores the complete dehumanization, treating enslaved people and animals as equivalent commodities. These mass auctions were among slavery's most brutal spectacles, where families were torn apart and human beings were inspected for their labor value. The scale of this sale—440 people—reveals the enormous economic system built on human bondage. A stark document of America's original sin, essential for historical education, available in three sizes with your choice of black or silver aluminum frame.