Supporters of Slavery in the North

Many people pride themselves on Ohio’s involvement in the operation of the Underground Railroad, as they should, but a common misconception is that the division between abolitionists and slavery supporters followed the dividing line between north and south. In reality most towns in the North had supporters of both opinions, often living side by side. The slave trade was highly profitable and supplied tobacco, sugar, and cotton, among other things, to the rest of the U.S. So what fostered these anti-slavery communities and connections?