Latest / The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering — Fexingo History
The Zong Massacre and the Birth of Abolition
In 1781, the slave ship Zong threw 132 enslaved Africans overboard so the owners could claim insurance. The ensuing court case, Gregson v Gilbert, became a shocking public scandal that fueled the British abolitionist movement. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the murderous logic of maritime insurance, the trial that treated enslaved people as cargo, and how Granville Sharp, Olaudah Equiano, and the black community in London transformed public outrage into organized resistance. They also examine the limits of legal reform—the Zong case never actually convicted anyone—and the broader…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.