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How Did Palm Oil Pave the Way for Empire in Africa? - Legitimate Commerce and the Reorganization of African Labor | Sleepy Facts About History
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In 1807, Britain abolished the Atlantic slave trade and promoted a new vision for Africa centered on "legitimate commerce." European powers promised that trading goods like palm oil, ivory, and cloves would replace the brutal traffic in human beings, bringing civilization and free exchange to the continent. This episode examines what actually happened when that moral vision encountered the realities of the African coast and its interior.
We explore how the massive European demand for…
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