In this episode, we speak with Keri Leigh Merritt, the author of "Masterless Men: Poor Whites and Slavery in the Antebellum South." While much of southern history rightly focuses on the impact slavery had on African-Americans, Merritt explains how important it is to also understand the impact it had on poor whites. Her scholarship shows how slavery's echoes are heard today not just in the descendants of slaves, but in those who lived alongside the system.

She is active on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kerileighmerritt and her book is available on her website kerileighmerritt.com

Axelbank Reports History and Today is active on Twitter at www.twitter.com/axelbankhistory and on instagram @axelbankhistory