[Ditto]

From 1790, when 40% of the Virginia population was slave, to 1850, when 33.2% of the population were slaves, the percentage of slaves dropped only 7%, but the total population of slaves increased.

By 1850, with it's tobacco fields largly worked-out, breeding and selling slaves to the cotton belt was a major source of income for Virginia.

[capitan_refugio]

"By 1850, with it's tobacco fields largly worked-out, breeding and selling slaves to the cotton belt was a major source of income for Virginia."

Considering that the importation of African slaves was banned after 1808 (I believe that was the date - memory), the breeding of slaves for other areas was big business.