2. The Case of Isaac Franklin’s ‘Prime Field Hand’
Isaac Franklin, one of the South’s most infamous slave traders, once sold a ‘prime field hand’ for $3,200—a staggering sum for the era. This individual’s youth, robust health, and physical strength made him especially valuable to large plantations eager for maximum output. Franklin’s records, now preserved by historians, underscore how such traits determined price at auction. The transaction exemplifies the cold calculus applied to enslaved people’s bodies, where every attribute could mean the difference between a standard sale and a record-breaking price.
