The Atlantic Slave Trade: Britain’s Hidden Engine of Wealth

The episode explores how Britain’s early modern economy was deeply tied to the trans‑Atlantic slave trade, examining the commercial networks and political motives of traders and plantation owners. It shows how abolitionist pressure reshaped national policy and finances, tracing ports, profits and the lived experience of enslaved people. By linking these strands we see how a legacy of exploitation still informs contemporary Britain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices