January 16, 2008 'Inheriting the Trade' Play video

(NECN) - When Americans think about the slave trade, they typically point to the classic stereotype of southern plantations.

However, the institution of slavery has a much more complex history rooted in part in New England.

Even after the slave trade was abolished in 1808, a Bristol, Rhode Island businessman helped shape the New England economy in party by financing the transportation of thousands of African slaves.

A new book, "Inheriting the Trade," traces the roots of one Rhode Island family's legacy as the largest slave trading dynasty in the U.S.

Author Tom DeWolf joins NECN's Chet Curtis for a discussion.