Latest / The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering — Fexingo History
The Sugar Coast: Slavery in São Tomé
Long before Barbados or Saint-Domingue became the epicenters of Atlantic slavery, the volcanic island of São Tomé served as a laboratory for European colonial exploitation. This episode explores how Portuguese traders transformed this tiny archipelago off the coast of Central Africa into the world’s first major sugar colony reliant on enslaved labor. We follow the journey of António de Saldanha, who arrived in 1493 to establish the settlement, and trace the rapid shift from a mixed society to one defined by brutal racial hierarchies. You will hear about the 'feitorias' (trading…
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