The 1694 Capture of the Henrietta Marie: Slave Ship Wreck

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

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 powers used the slave trade as both an economic engine and a legal battlefield, with enslaved people caught in the middle. We also touch on the broader context of the South Atlantic slave trade system, the Portuguese reliance on Brazil, and the early inklings of abolitionist thought that would later challenge the entire enterprise. Listeners will meet the Burla's captain, the privateer who seized it, and a few of the individuals whose names survive in court records — a rare glimpse into the lives of the enslaved. #Burla #PortugueseSlaveTrade #Luanda #Brazil #Angola #JohnHawkins #Privateer #RoyalNavy #SouthAtlantic #MiddlePassage #1719 #ColonialRivalry #Mercantilism #SlaveShip #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticSlaveTrade #PrizeCourt Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The 1693 Capture of the Princesa: A Portuguese Slave Ship's Last Voyage

In 1693, the Portuguese slave ship Princesa set sail from Angola bound for Brazil with over 500 enslaved Africans crammed into its hold. But the ship never reached its destination. What happened instead reveals a forgotten chapter of the Atlantic slave trade: the interception of slave ships by pirates — and the brutal choices that followed. Lucas and Luna dig into the Princesa's final voyage, the pirates who seized it, and the fate of the people on board. They explore the economics of the late 17th-century slave trade, the role of Portuguese slavers in the South Atlantic, and how piracy sometimes intersected with — and even disrupted — the human trafficking business. This episode also touches on the broader context of the 1690s, when the slave trade was booming and European rivalries played out on the backs of millions. A specific, harrowing story that sheds light on an often-overlooked corner of Atlantic history. #Princesa #PortugueseSlaveTrade #Luanda #Brazil #Piracy #1693 #SouthAtlantic #SlaveShip #MiddlePassage #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticWorld #Angola #EnslavedAfricans #PirateInterception #17thCentury #SlaveTradeEconomics #MaritimeHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The 1807 Abolition Act: Britain Outlaws the Slave Trade

In 1807, after decades of tireless campaigning by abolitionists like Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce, Britain outlawed the transatlantic slave trade. But the story behind the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act is far more complex than a simple moral triumph. This episode explores the political maneuvering, economic pressures, and grassroots activism that finally pushed Parliament to act. We delve into the role of the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, the impact of the Haitian Revolution, and the infamous 1805 test vote that nearly ended the movement. Lucas and Luna also discuss the limitations of the act—it did not end slavery itself—and the Royal Navy's subsequent campaign to suppress the trade, known as the West Africa Squadron. Featuring key figures like Granville Sharp, Olaudah Equiano, and the reluctant Prime Minister Lord Grenville, this episode reveals how a coalition of Quakers, freed slaves, and political radicals achieved what many thought impossible. #AbolitionAct1807 #WilliamWilberforce #ThomasClarkson #GranvilleSharp #OlaudahEquiano #LordGrenville #SlaveTradeAct #RoyalNavy #WestAfricaSquadron #HaitianRevolution #Quakers #Abolitionism #BritishEmpire #Parliament #1800s #AtlanticSlaveTrade #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The 1839 L'Amistad Rebellion: Africans in a Connecticut Court

In 1839, fifty-three Africans aboard the schooner L'Amistad rebelled against their captors, sparking a legal battle that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. This episode explores the Mende captives' journey from Sierra Leone to a Connecticut courtroom, the role of translator James Covey, and the landmark case that pitted property rights against human liberty. Lucas and Luna discuss the abolitionist network led by Lewis Tappan, the defense arguments of Roger Baldwin, and the final decision written by Justice Joseph Story. They also touch on the legacy of the Amistad in American memory and the eventual return of the survivors to West Africa. #Amistad #LAmistad #Mende #SengbePieh #JosephCinqué #JamesCovey #LewisTappan #RogerBaldwin #JohnQuincyAdams #SupremeCourt #Abolition #SlaveTrade #1839 #Connecticut #SierraLeone #History #FexingoHistory #SlaveRebellion Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The 1811 German Coast Uprising: Louisiana's Largest Slave Revolt

In January 1811, the largest slave revolt in US history erupted along the Mississippi River in the Territory of Orleans. Led by Charles Deslondes, a mixed-race enslaved driver from Saint-Domingue, a column of several hundred men marched from plantation to plantation, gathering weapons and recruits, their destination the city of New Orleans. The uprising was crushed within two days by planters and a detachment of US troops under General Wade Hampton. The aftermath saw brutal reprisals, public decapitations, and severed heads displayed on pikes to terrorize the enslaved population. This episode explores the revolt's roots in the Haitian Revolution, the unique social structure of Louisiana's sugar coast, and the legacy of an uprising that history nearly forgot. Lucas and Luna discuss Deslondes' background, the role of Saint-Domingue refugees, and why this rebellion remains less known than others like Stono or Nat Turner's. #1811GermanCoastUprising #CharlesDeslondes #Louisiana #SlaveRevolt #HaitianRevolution #NewOrleans #TerritoryOfOrleans #WadeHampton #SugarPlantations #SaintDomingue #MississippiRiver #AndryPlantation #DestrehanPlantation #USHistory #AfricanAmericanHistory #Slavery #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]