The 1752 Massacre at Calabar: Old Calabar and the Slave Trade

This episode of The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering explores the 1752 massacre at Old Calabar, a devastating event that exposed the brutal mechanics of the slave trade on the Bight of Biafra. Hosts Lucas and Luna delve into the complex role of the Efik people, the key figures of the era like Duke Ephraim and the slave trader John Bibby, and the infamous 'house system' that turned captives into commodities. They unpack the massacre that killed hundreds of Duke Town's inhabitants, the ensuing power struggles, and the chilling reality of how African intermediaries collaborated with European traders. The conversation touches on the use of the 'blood men'—executioners who killed the weak to avoid wasting ship space—and the long-term impact on the region, including the rise of the Aro Confederacy. This episode challenges simple narratives of victim and perpetrator, revealing a tangled web of commerce, survival, and betrayal that fueled the transatlantic slave trade. #OldCalabar #Efik #BightofBiafra #Massacre1752 #DukeEphraim #JohnBibby #SlaveCoast #Nigeria #CrossRiver #TransatlanticSlaveTrade #HouseSystem #BloodMen #AroConfederacy #AfricanIntermediaries #Slavery #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo