The 1719 Capture of the Burla: Portugal's Hidden Slave Trade

The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering — Fexingo History · Jun 20, 2026 · 11m · transcript

In 1719, the British privateer John Hawkins intercepted a Portuguese slave ship named Burla off the coast of Angola. This episode dives into the Burla's voyage, the cargo of 450 enslaved Africans, and the legal battle that followed over prize money and the legality of Britain seizing Portuguese slave ships before the abolition era. We explore the Burla's route from Luanda to Brazil, the role of the British Royal Navy and privateers in policing the slave trade, and the complex interplay of colonial rivalries, mercantilism, and human suffering. The Burla case reveals how European…