The Slave Trade's Atlantic Geography: Winds, Currents, and Routes

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the physical geography that shaped the transatlantic slave trade — the trade winds, ocean currents, and seasonal patterns that determined where ships departed, how they crossed, and where they landed. From the Canary Current to the Gulf Stream, from the Bight of Benin to the Caribbean, they trace how the Atlantic's natural highways were harnessed for human cargo. They also discuss how this geography made some African ports dominant, why certain European nations had advantages, and how the brutal Middle Passage was timed to winds. The episode touches on the role of the doldrums, the passage's infamous 'middle' leg, and the knowledge African and European sailors shared. Along the way, they consider the human cost of these routes and how the geography of the ocean became a geography of suffering. #AtlanticSlaveTrade #MiddlePassage #TradeWinds #OceanCurrents #CanaryCurrent #GulfStream #BightOfBenin #BightOfBiafra #Caribbean #Lagos #Ouidah #Liverpool #Nantes #Seafaring #MaritimeHistory #Geography #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo