2. New York Was Once the Second-Largest Slave State
In the early 18th century, New York’s slave population was second only to South Carolina. By 1703, 42% of New York households owned slaves, surpassing Philadelphia and Boston combined (historiclowermanhattan.org). The city’s first official slave market, established in 1711 at the foot of Wall Street, facilitated the sale and rental of enslaved Africans and Native Americans. By the mid-18th century, approximately one in five people in New York City was enslaved, with nearly half of Manhattan households owning at least one slave.
