Chained up and beaten, forced to work long hours, fed meager amounts of food, and forced to sleep on the ground. These animal-like living conditions were the realities of most slaves in the South. These people were thought to be lesser humans, and they were treated as such. In his book 12 Years a Slave, Northup Northup gives readers a glimpse into the workings of the slave system including the slave trade, living and working conditions, views of slaves and their owners, and the slaves’ methods of resistance. The outlawing of the African slave trade in 1808 led to the rise of the domestic slave-trading network. Slaves became more valuable, and the trade of them became very profitable. Slaves were caged up like animals and paraded in front of potential buyers. Slaves were thoroughly inspected by buyers and were asked what jobs they could do. Solomon said that “scars upon a slave’s back were considered evidence of a rebellious or unruly spirit, and hurt his sale” (Northup, 53). The South thrived during this antebellum period. Besides the fact of forcing people to work against their will, the most despicable aspect of the domestic slave trade system was the breaking up of families. Only two states, Louisiana and Alabama, had laws against the separation of children younger than ten from his or her mother. Close to one million blacks were traded during the antebellum period, mostly during the 1830s. In his novel, Northup describes how he was tricked and then kidnapped and sold into slavery. Northup was sold to a man named William Ford. Northup was actually fond of Ford and stated “there was never a more kind, noble, candid, Christian man than William Ford” (Northup, 62). Northup’s regard for his owner did not change the fact that he was stolen away from his family without their knowledge, and he would do anything to get back to them. For the most part, the living and working conditions for slaves were pretty much the same from plantation to plantation. Some slaves had it better than others did, but for the most part the conditions were brutal. Slaves received the minimum amount of food and nourishment to keep them living. Slaves were