What do we mean—Legacy of the Slave Trade? Many say that the Trans-Atlantic slave trade ended sometime in the mid 1800’s, after 400 years of slavery in America. So why are we bringing it up today? To talk about Reconciliation between the races in America, we have to look at the after-effects found in America, even in our time. There is a legacy from the slave trade and from the slavery system in America; it’s found in our cultural institutions, laws, customs, political structures, churches, and socio-economic levels. We will begin to explore that legacy here–and hope you will add to this conversation with your comments.