The 1820 Treaty That Made the Slave Trade Piracy

The 1820 Treaty That Made the Slave Trade Piracy

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the 1820 Treaty of London, in which the United States and Britain agreed to treat the international slave trade as piracy—a crime punishable by death. They trace the diplomatic maneuvering that led to this landmark agreement, the role of President James Monroe and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, and the British push for mutual search rights at sea. The conversation examines how the treaty was enforced, including the creation of the U.S. Africa Squadron and the mixed commission courts in Sierra Leone and elsewhere. But Lucas also unpacks the treaty's limits: it only applied to the ocean, not to the domestic slave trade within the U.S., and it did little to stop illegal slavers who ran faster ships or used false flags. The episode highlights the careers of naval officers like Captain Matthew C. Perry and the cat-and-mouse game between the squadron and slavers. It also touches on the ironic fact that while the U.S. and Britain declared the trade piracy, neither nation would free the enslaved people rescued from captured ships—they were often turned over to local colonial authorities. A nuanced look at a forgotten diplomatic milestone that was both a moral victory and a practical failure. #SlaveTrade #TreatyOfLondon1820 #Piracy #JohnQuincyAdams #JamesMonroe #AfricaSquadron #MixedCommissionCourts #MatthewPerry #SierraLeone #RoyalNavy #Abolition #19thCentury #AtlanticWorld #Diplomacy #MaritimeHistory #IllegalSlaveTrade #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Secret Lives of Slave Ship Captains

Behind every cargo of enslaved Africans stood a captain — part merchant, part navigator, part brutal enforcer. In this episode, Lucas and Luna peel back the logbooks to explore the men who commanded the Middle Passage: their training, their daily routines, their profit margins, and the psychological toll of overseeing human cargo. They examine the career of Captain John Newton, the former slave trader who later became an abolitionist and wrote 'Amazing Grace,' and contrast him with lesser-known figures like Captain James Fraser, who kept meticulous records of mortality and discipline. The conversation covers the hierarchy aboard a slaver — from captain to surgeon to first mate — and how risk was distributed across investors, insurers, and the crew. They also touch on the infamous Zong massacre, where a captain justified throwing 132 enslaved people overboard to collect insurance, and the legal and moral debates that followed. This episode offers a granular look at the men who ran the slave trade, not as monsters or saints, but as products of a brutal economic system that devalued human life. #SlaveShipCaptains #MiddlePassage #JohnNewton #AmazingGrace #ZongMassacre #JamesFraser #LloydsCoffeeHouse #RoyalAfricanCompany #SlaveTrade #18thCenturyMaritime #CaptainLogbooks #Abolition #BritishEmpire #AtlanticHistory #MaritimeHistory #History #FexingoHistory #Slavery Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Middle Passage Food: Cuisine of Survival

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the often-overlooked culinary history of the Middle Passage — what enslaved Africans ate during their forced journey across the Atlantic, and how those provisions shaped survival, rebellion, and diaspora food cultures. They focus on the specific foods prescribed by 18th-century slave ship regulations: the Dolben Act of 1788 and subsequent laws that mandated rations like rice, yams, beans, and dried fish. Lucas explains how these items were chosen for nutritional and economic reasons, but also how the monotony and scarcity of food led to malnutrition, disease, and resistance. The conversation dives into the role of yams from West Africa, the introduction of cassava from Brazil, and the surprising fact that some ship captains deliberately reduced rations to increase profits. Lucas connects this to the broader story of how African food traditions — like okra, black-eyed peas, and palm oil — later merged with New World ingredients to create iconic dishes in the Caribbean, Brazil, and the American South. The episode ends with a reflection on food as a form of cultural memory and defiance. #History #FexingoHistory #MiddlePassage #SlaveShipFood #DolbenAct #CuisineOfSurvival #SlaveTrade #Yams #Cassava #Okra #BlackEyedPeas #PalmOil #AfricanDiaspora #FoodHistory #Resistance #SierraLeone #BightOfBenin #AtlanticWorld Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The African Muslim Rebellion That Shook Brazil

In 1835, enslaved Muslims in Salvador, Brazil, rose up in one of the most audacious urban revolts in the Americas. Known as the Malê Revolt, it was led by Hausa and Yoruba men who wrote their plans in Arabic script, coordinated through prayer networks, and fought with religious conviction. This episode explores how the transatlantic slave trade brought Islam to Bahia, how enslaved Africans maintained their faith under bondage, and how the revolt's brutal suppression reshaped Brazilian society. We follow the revolt from its planning in the homes of Alufás (Muslim teachers) to the street battles in the city center, and examine why the rebels saw themselves as mujahideen fighting a holy war. Along the way, we confront a lesser-known chapter of the slave trade: the Muslim diaspora that challenged both slaveholders and colonial authorities. #MaleRevolt #Brazil #Salvador #Bahia #Hausa #Yoruba #Alufa #Islam #AtlanticSlaveTrade #SlaveRevolt #MuslimDiaspora #1835 #History #FexingoHistory #BightOfBenin #Jeje #Nago #Resistance Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Dahomey Amazons: West Africa's All-Female Army

Before the kingdom of Dahomey fell to French colonialism, its army included a corps of several thousand women soldiers — the Agooji, or Dahomey Amazons. This episode traces their origins in the 17th century under King Houegbadja, their evolution into elite shock troops under King Ghezo, and their final stand against French artillery in 1892. We explore how they were recruited, trained, and armed, how they lived in the royal palace, and how European visitors like Sir Richard Burton and John Duncan described them with a mix of awe and horror. We also confront the uncomfortable truth that these warrior women fought to defend a kingdom that thrived on the slave trade — and were themselves used as slave catchers. Their story is one of extraordinary courage tangled in a deeply violent system. Featuring the military tactics of King Ghezo, the fortress of Abomey, and the French commander Alfred Dodds. #DahomeyAmazons #Agooji #WestAfrica #KingGhezo #KingdomOfDahomey #Benin #Abomey #AlfredDodds #FemaleWarriors #SlaveTrade #FrenchColonialism #19thCentury #MilitaryHistory #SirRichardBurton #AfricanHistory #WomenInHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]