The Transatlantic Slave Trade's Hidden Economic Engine

Trade Routes That Changed Human History Forever — Fexingo History · Oct 23, 2026 · 7m · transcript

While we often hear about the brutality of the transatlantic slave trade, its financial architecture is less discussed. This episode explores how London merchants, particularly those in Pall Mall and Cornhill, structured the credit systems that made triangular trade possible. We look at the role of the Bank of England’s early policies, the specific commodities like sugar and tobacco that served as collateral, and how insurance markets in Lloyd’s of London evolved to underwrite these human cargoes. By examining the ledgers of firms like the Royal African Company and later private traders, we…