The Slave Trade in the Indian Ocean: Zanzibar and the Clove Islands

The 1837 Tortola Slave Conspiracy: A Plot That Never Was

In 1837, just three years after the British Empire abolished slavery in its colonies, the small island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands was shaken by rumors of a massive slave conspiracy. Planters claimed to have uncovered a plot involving arson, poison, and a coordinated uprising across the island. Dozens of enslaved people were arrested, tried, and executed—but historians now believe the conspiracy was largely fabricated by a terrified white elite. This episode explores the so-called Tortola Slave Conspiracy of 1837, examining how post-emancipation fears, economic anxiety, and racial paranoia led to a witch hunt. We discuss the key figures: Governor William MacBean, the accused leader Arthur Hodge, and the magistrates who presided over the trials. We also look at the broader context of apprenticeship, the transition from slavery to freedom in the British Caribbean, and how the island's tiny white minority clung to power through terror. A chilling case of justice miscarried in the name of preserving the old order. #TortolaSlaveConspiracy #BritishVirginIslands #1837 #PostEmancipation #ApprenticeshipSystem #SlaveRevoltPanic #WilliamMacBean #ArthurHodge #CaribbeanHistory #BritishAbolition #SlaveConspiracy #WitchHunt #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticWorld #Slavery #RacialParanoia #19thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The 1830s Cuban Plantation Expansion: How Sugar Fueled the Slave Trade

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the explosive growth of Cuba's sugar industry in the 1830s and how it reshaped the Atlantic slave trade. They dive into the story of the ingenio (sugar plantation) system, the brutal work regime known as the 'grinding season,' and the roles of figures like Francisco de Arango y Parreño, who pushed for unlimited slave imports. The episode covers the 1817 treaty with Britain that Cuba circumvented, the use of contraband slave ships like the Amistad, and the rise of the 'sugarocracy' in Havana. Listeners will learn about the specific technologies—like the steam-powered sugar mill and the Jamaica train—that intensified production and suffering. The conversation also touches on Cuba's unique demography, where enslaved people made up over 40% of the population by 1840, and the impact of the 1837 cholera epidemic. This is a deep, focused look at how one island's economic boom prolonged the transatlantic slave trade decades after it was outlawed elsewhere. #Cuba #SugarPlantations #AtlanticSlaveTrade #1830s #FranciscoDeArango #Ingenio #Havana #ContrabandSlaveTrade #SteamPower #Sugarocracy #CholeraEpidemic #AbolitionTreaty #AfricanCaptives #PlantationSystem #GrindingSeason #History #FexingoHistory #WorldHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The 1739 Stono Rebellion: South Carolina's Bloodiest Slave Revolt

In September 1739, about twenty enslaved Kongolese people near the Stono River in South Carolina gathered under a banner and marched south toward Spanish Florida, killing dozens of colonists along the way. This episode traces the Stono Rebellion from its origins in the Kongo kingdom's Catholic traditions to the brutal suppression and its legacy in the colony's slave codes. We examine the role of the Spanish promise of freedom at Fort Mose, the leadership of a man named Jemmy, and how the rebellion reshaped slavery in the American South. #StonoRebellion #StonoRiver #SouthCarolina #Kongolese #Jemmy #FortMose #SpanishFlorida #SlaveRevolt #1739 #Anglicization #SlaveCodes #NegroAct1740 #Kongo #Catholicism #GullahGeechee #AtlanticHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The 1843 Mutiny on the Creole: US Slaves Who Freed Themselves in the Bahamas

In November 1841, the American slave brig Creole left Richmond, Virginia, bound for New Orleans with 135 enslaved people in its hold. Madison Washington, a man who had escaped to Canada and returned for his wife, led a revolt that seized control of the ship and sailed it to Nassau in the British Bahamas, where slavery had been abolished in 1834. The Creole mutiny sparked a major diplomatic crisis between the United States and Britain, testing the limits of the international slave trade ban and the right of refuge. This episode follows Madison Washington's extraordinary double escape, the legal battle over American property rights versus British emancipation, and how the Creole affair helped push the US toward the Compromise of 1850. Hosts Lucas and Luna explore the human drama, the legal intricacies, and why this event remains one of the most successful slave revolts in American history. #CreoleMutiny #MadisonWashington #SlaveRevolt #Bahamas #Nassau #BritishEmancipation #DiplomaticCrisis #1841 #AntebellumAmerica #SlaveTrade #MaritimeHistory #CompromiseOf1850 #Abolition #BlackHistory #AtlanticWorld #USHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ouidah: The Slave Coast's Most Feared Fort

In Episode 92 of The Atlantic Slave Trade, Lucas and Luna explore the rise of Ouidah, the Dahomean port that became the epicenter of the Slave Coast. They trace its transformation from a quiet coastal town to a fortified slave-trading hub under King Agaja, who conquered the region in 1727. The episode details the infamous Portuguese Fort of São João Baptista de Ajudá, the role of the Dahomean Amazon warriors in slave raids, and the brutal annual 'Customs' ceremonies where captives were sacrificed. Lucas explains how Ouidah's unique position—neither a European colony nor a fully African kingdom—created a complex web of collaboration and coercion. The conversation also touches on the destruction of nearby rival ports like Offra and Jakin, the life of Francisco Félix de Sousa (the Chacha of Ouidah), and the port's decline after the 1807 abolition. A final segment reflects on what Ouidah means today as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a symbol of the African diaspora's resilience. #Ouidah #SlaveCoast #Dahomey #KingAgaja #AmazonWarriors #FortSãoJoãoBatistadeAjudá #FranciscoFélixdeSousa #Chacha #Offra #Jakin #CustomsCeremony #AtlanticSlaveTrade #FexingoHistory #History #AfricanHistory #Slavery #UNESCO #Diaspora Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]