He knew he would never see them again and would be forced to start anew, in a whole new personal hell. Hayden remarked: "No mother's smile was decreed to welcome me - no motherly word to soothe my pains, no kind and long-known home to provide me with nourishment and rest - nothing but the rattling chains of the slavery - a stranger's roof and my own sad thoughts were addressed to me. A troubling period in history, the interstate slave trade lasted for nearly 70 years, and during that time countless families were torn apart and human beings were sold like cattle for a pittance. The context of the commercial transactions and the manner in which the slaves were held captive like prisoners before the auction was an abomination. The slave trade was a traumatic event for those who did not follow the commercial side of this trend. Not only have African Americans had to endure this lifelong servitude to their Caucasian counterparts, but the abuse and deprivation of basic human rights is directly linked to their right.