Watch Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North

Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North is a thought-provoking documentary film that delves deep into the roots of American history and the legacy of slavery. The movie delves into the hidden history of the DeWolf family, prominent New Englanders who were once the largest slave-trading family in America. The DeWolfs have a long and dark history of enslaving thousands of African men, women, and children during the eighteenth century, and this movie seeks to uncover that history and its effects on present-day America.

The centerpiece of the movie is Katrina Browne, a direct descendant of the DeWolf family, who embarks on a journey with her family to trace the roots of their family's wealth and power during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As they explore the landscapes of Ghana, Cuba, and Rhode Island, Katrina and her family grapple with the lasting effects of their ancestors' participation in the slave trade, and begin to understand the ways that the legacy of slavery still persists in American life.

Throughout the film, we meet an array of characters who help shed light on the history and legacy of slavery. Keila DePoorter, a descendant of a slave-owning family, s the DeWolfs on their journey and shares her personal reflections on the impact of slavery on her own life. Other scholars and historians, including James DeWolf Perry (a descendant of the DeWolfs), provide historical context and insights into the impact of slavery on New England and beyond.

One of the most poignant moments in the movie comes when the DeWolfs visit the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, a central hub of the transatlantic slave trade. As they walk through the castle's dungeons, they are confronted with the horrors of slavery in a visceral way, and they begin to grapple with the enormity of their ancestors' involvement in this brutal system. Throughout the movie, we see the DeWolfs wrestling with questions of guilt, responsibility, and the role they can play in dismantling systemic racism in America.

Traces of the Trade is a powerful and emotional film that challenges viewers to confront America's history of slavery and its ongoing legacy of racial inequality. By tracing the roots of one family's wealth and power, the movie provides a window into the larger socioeconomic and political systems that have been shaped by slavery and racism. It is a must-see movie for anyone interested in understanding America's deep-seated racial problems, and the personal toll that this history of oppression has taken on generations of families.