The authors of Brokers, Bankers and Bay Lane are recent recipients of the 2012 Award for Excellence in Research from the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board. The Award was issued to the authors by Georgia Secretary of State Brian P. Kemp in October of 2012. The second book in a four-part series, Brokers, Bankers, and Bay Lane journeys even deeper into Savannah's slave trading past to examine the business of slavery in the late antebellum period. With the simple premise that slavery could not have operated for so long without a viable business model, the authors examine the social, economic, and political factors that made the institution so remarkably resilient. Who was making a profit for the institution, and how much did they make? What did they think about their work and what did the community think? Who, besides the slave traders and masters, benefited? The authors also tell the stories of the slaves themselves, the human beings swept up and processed through this terrible machinery. What were their names and their stories? Answering these and other questions, the authors demonstrate how the institution of slavery in no way operated in a vacuum, but rather thrived on the support of local government, banks, church and community organizations, and established social networks. With stunning black and white photographs of physical structures and artifacts tied to the slave trade, this rich and compelling volume will give readers valuable insight into the unique and powerful role that Savannah played in the expansion of slavery in Georgia.