3. Married a Slave Trader
Adelicia Acklen’s first husband, Isaac Franklin, was not just a wealthy planter—he was one of America’s most notorious slave traders. Franklin’s business involved the brutal trafficking of enslaved people throughout the South, intensifying their suffering and separating countless families. Acklen’s marriage to Franklin meant she directly benefited from the profits of this cruel enterprise, which became the bedrock of her financial empire. Read more
