Green Cottenham’s ancestor, known for being one of the oldest enslaved laborers on the Cottingham plantation and later working at the Bibb coal furnace after emancipation.

An Alabama plantation owner whose economic woes post-Civil War are partly attributed to the loss of enslaved workers, reflective of his fear of African American enfranchisement.

A white Alabama farmer notorious for exploiting the criminal justice system to enslave Black men under false pretenses, leading to legal consequences that were ultimately negligible.

The U.S. President during the investigation into Southern slavery practices. While concerned about racial inequalities, his administration's efforts to address the issue were limited.

A prominent Black leader and educator advocating vocational training for Black Americans and advising President Roosevelt, often conflicting with more radical voices like W. E. B. DuBois.

A progressive Black leader and academic critical of Booker T. Washington’s approach, noted for conducting significant sociological research into Black Southern labor.

An Alabama federal judge, appointed by Theodore Roosevelt, who presided over slavery trials with a relatively progressive stance yet imposed only light sentences.

An author whose works glorified the Ku Klux Klan and contributed to popular racist ideology through his writings and subsequent adaptations.

An openly white supremacist President whose policies further entrenched racial segregation and deferred to Southern states on racial issues.