Latest / The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History / Belgium's Forgotten Slave Trade in the 17th Century
Transcript
- Lucas: When most people think about Belgium’s colonial past, their minds immediately jump to the Congo Free State and King Leopold II’s rubber terror. But before there was a Congo, there was a much older, quieter involvement in the global economy of human suffering. Luna: You mean the Atlantic slave trade? Lucas: Exactly. It’s a startling fact that the cities of Antwerp and Brussels were active participants in the Transatlantic Slave Trade as early as the late 1600s, nearly two centuries before Leopold II claimed the Congo. We often imagine these Northern European powers as distant observers, but they were deeply embedded in the supply chains. Luna: I had no idea Antwerp was involved in that at all. Lucas: It wasn’t just Antwerp, either. The port of Ostend became a crucial hub for what historians call the 'Ostend Company,' which operated with a royal charter from the Austrian Habsburgs. They weren’t just trading spices or textiles; they were buying enslaved Africans on the coast of Guinea and transporting them to the Americas. Luna: So this was state-sponsored, not just rogue merchants? Lucas: Precisely. The Ostend Company was granted exclusive rights to trade in the East Indies and the Americas, and while its primary focus was Asia, it dipped heavily into the slave trade to offset costs. Ship manifests from the 1720s show vessels leaving Ostend with hundreds of captives packed into holds, destined for colonies in Brazil and the Caribbean. Luna: That sounds incredibly grim when you hear the numbers. Lucas: It is. And what’s more disturbing is how normalized it was in the ledgers. One merchant, Jan de la Haye, wrote letters home describing the 'cargo' with the same casual tone he used for sugar or tobacco. He didn’t see them as people, but as depreciating assets that needed careful ventilation to avoid loss. Luna: Did anyone in Belgium protest this at the time? Lucas: Very little public outcry, largely because the profits were so lucrative for the local elite. The money from these voyages funded churches, hospitals, and even parts of the Grand Place in Brussels. It was woven into the very fabric of the city’s architecture and civic pride, making it hard for people to look away. Luna: So the wealth literally came from human misery. Lucas: Yes, and that wealth created a class of beneficiaries who had no incentive to challenge the system. Even when the Ostend Company was dissolved in 1731 due to political pressure from Britain and Spain, the networks remained. Private merchants continued the trade through back channels, using Antwerp as a clearinghouse for insurance and financing. Luna: It feels like the scale of it has been hidden for a long time. Lucas: It has. For decades, Belgian history textbooks focused almost exclusively on the Congo Free State, treating the earlier period as a minor footnote. But recent archival work has shown that over 5,000 enslaved Africans passed through Belgian ports between 1640 and 1790. That’s a significant number, yet it rarely appears in public discourse. Luna: Why do you think it was kept out of the narrative? Lucas: Partly because it complicates the national identity. If Belgium’s greatness is tied to its colonial achievements, then acknowledging the slave trade undermines that myth. It forces a reckoning with the fact that the country’s prosperity wasn’t just built on mining or industry, but on human bondage. Luna: That makes sense, but it’s still frustrating to hear. Lucas: I know. And it’s not just about the past; it’s about how we deal with it now. There are growing calls for restitution and memorials, but the government has been slow to act. Some argue that since the slaves were sold in other countries, Belgium isn’t directly liable, but that ignores the role of our banks and insurers. Luna: So the financial side is key here. Lucas: Absolutely. The insurance policies written in Antwerp covered the risks of slave voyages, meaning Belgian companies profited from the danger and death of captives. When a ship sank or an uprising occurred, the payouts went to Belgian investors, further entrenching the link between commerce and cruelty. Luna: It really shows how interconnected the global economy was. Lucas: It does. And it reminds us that slavery wasn’t just an American or African problem; it was a European enterprise. The demand for sugar, coffee, and cotton drove the entire system, and Belgium was one of many nodes in that vast, tragic network. Luna: How do we start changing that perception? Lucas: By teaching it honestly. Schools need to include this period in their curricula, not as an afterthought, but as a central part of economic history. Museums should display the artifacts—not just the exotic objects from the Congo, but the ledgers, the maps, and the stories of those who were enslaved. Luna: It’s about giving voice to the silenced. Lucas: Exactly. And perhaps most importantly, by recognizing that the descendants of those enslaved people are still part of Belgian society today. Their ancestors’ pain is part of our shared heritage, and ignoring it only perpetuates the inequality that started centuries ago. Luna: That’s a powerful way to frame it. Lucas: We believe in listener support to keep these conversations going ad-free. A small group already chips in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that’s literally what funds making this many of these episodes possible. Luna: It helps keep the history accessible to everyone. Lucas: It does. And speaking of access, let’s look at one specific case that illustrates this well: the voyage of the ship 'De Koe' in 1724. It left Ostend with 200 captives, and only 150 arrived alive in Barbados. Luna: A mortality rate of twenty-five percent is horrifying. Lucas: It was standard practice, unfortunately. Overcrowding and disease were rampant, and captains often prioritized speed over conditions. The insurance payout for the lost 'cargo' would have covered the losses and then some, making it a profitable venture despite the tragedy. Luna: So the system was designed to absorb the cost of death. Lucas: Yes, and that’s why it persisted. As long as the financial incentives were strong, the moral arguments fell on deaf ears. It took the abolitionist movements of the 19th century to finally dismantle the legal framework, but the economic scars remained. Luna: It’s a heavy legacy to carry forward. Lucas: It is. But by bringing it into the light, we can begin to understand the full scope of Belgium’s history. It’s not just about blaming individuals, but about understanding the structures that allowed such atrocities to happen. Luna: And ensuring we don't repeat those mistakes. Lucas: Precisely. History is complex, and facing it honestly is the first step toward justice. Whether it’s through education, memorialization, or policy change, we have a responsibility to acknowledge this past. Luna: It’s a journey we’re all on together. Lucas: And every conversation helps move us closer to a more truthful understanding of who we are and where we’ve come from.