Broke by the War

"Broke by the War provides a numbing glimpse into the world of slave trading in the Old South of the 1850s. The book is a useful teaching tool and the source of important information on the slave trade in the twilight of the antebellum South."—Journal of American History

"Drago has done an excellent job editing these letters and has written a lucid introduction. He provides background information on the letters, the two traders, the Charleston market, and the South Carolina countryside where McElveen conducted his business. . . . One is struck by McElveen's impersonal approach toward the buying and selling of slaves. The statements and questions raised in his letters are exactly those one might expect of any entrepreneur seeking to buy low and sell high."—Journal of Economic History

"A fascinating collection of letters. . . . Admirably edited, Drago's volume sheds much light on the trials and tribulations of an Old South would-be, the insidious world in which he operated, and the victims of his business activities. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of slavery or slave trading in the antebellum South."—Journal of Southern History