The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering — Fexingo History

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the story of the Henrietta Marie, a slave ship that sank off the Florida Keys in 1704 after delivering its human cargo to Jamaica. Discovered in 1972 by treasure hunters, the wreck became one of the most important underwater archaeological sites for understanding the slave trade. Lucas walks us through the ship's history: built in London, it made multiple voyages to West Africa and the Caribbean, carrying iron bars, beads, and copper manillas to trade for enslaved people. We explore the artifacts recovered—shackles, pewter spoons, a Dutch gin bottle—and what they reveal about the daily cruelty of the trade. Lucas also discusses the ethical debates around displaying slave ship artifacts, the collaboration with descendants, and the enduring significance of the Henrietta Marie as the first slave shipwreck to be fully studied by archaeologists. Along the way, we touch on the Middle Passage, the Royal African Company, and the Gadsden flag that some descendants have reclaimed. #HenriettaMarie #SlaveShip #MaritimeArchaeology #MiddlePassage #FloridaKeys #RoyalAfricanCompany #IronShackles #Manillas #SlaveTrade #1704 #Jamaica #AfricanDiaspora #UnderwaterArchaeology #MelFisher #SlaveWreck #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticSlaveTrade Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode of The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering, Lucas and Luna explore the often-overlooked region of the Bight of Biafra, which supplied millions of enslaved Africans—mostly Igbo, Ibibio, and Efik—to the Americas. They discuss the role of the Aro Confederacy, a powerful trading network that used oracles and alliances to capture and sell people from the interior. The episode delves into the impact on Igbo society, the Middle Passage experience specific to Biafran captives, and the cultural legacy in places like Virginia and the Caribbean. Lucas explains how the Aro's military and religious influence allowed them to dominate the slave trade from the 17th to 19th centuries, and how the collapse of the trade led to the Aro Expedition of 1901-1902. Listeners will learn about the port of Old Calabar, the role of European palm oil traders, and the demographic shift that shaped the African diaspora. #BightOfBiafra #AroConfederacy #Igbo #Efik #OldCalabar #SlaveTrade #MiddlePassage #AfricanDiaspora #AroExpedition #Ibibio #NigeriaHistory #IgboUkpabi #PalmOilTrade #17thCentury #19thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticSlaveTrade Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the role of African political structures in the Atlantic slave trade, focusing on the Kingdom of Kongo and its complex relationship with Portuguese slavers. They discuss how King Afonso I of Kongo wrote desperate letters to King Manuel I of Portugal in the 1520s, pleading for help controlling Portuguese traders who were destabilizing his realm. The conversation covers the erosion of Kongo's sovereignty, the rise of the Imbangala mercenaries, and the transformation of warfare in West Central Africa as the demand for captives grew. Lucas explains the 'slaving frontier' concept, showing how the trade pushed deeper into the continent, creating cycles of violence and depopulation that reshaped societies. The episode sheds light on African agency and victimhood, revealing that the trade was not a simple story of Europeans capturing Africans, but a complex system involving African elites, merchants, and warriors who participated for their own reasons, often with devastating consequences for their own people. #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticSlaveTrade #KingdomOfKongo #KingAfonsoI #PortugueseEmpire #Imbangala #WestCentralAfrica #SlavingFrontier #Mbundu #Ndongo #Luanda #AfricanHistory #SlaveTrade #16thCentury #Colonialism #AfricanAgency #HistoricalWarfare Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the untold story of Jamaica's Maroons — escaped Africans who forged independent communities in the island's rugged interior and waged a decades-long guerrilla war against British colonial rule. They focus on the First Maroon War (1728–1739/40), the leadership of Queen Nanny of the Windward Maroons, and the controversial peace treaties that granted the Maroons autonomy in exchange for returning future runaways. The conversation also touches on Maroon culture, including the Akan-derived languages, military tactics using abeng horns, and the role of Obeah. They contrast the Windward and Leeward Maroons, discuss Cudjoe's treaty, and reflect on the legacy of Maroon resistance across the Americas. #Maroons #Jamaica #FirstMaroonWar #QueenNanny #Cudjoe #WindwardMaroons #LeewardMaroons #Akan #Obeah #GuerrillaWarfare #TreatyOf1739 #Accompong #TrelawnyTown #NannyTown #BritishEmpire #SlaveResistance #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode of The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering, Lucas and Luna explore the overlooked connection between the War of 1812 and the illegal slave trade. They discuss how the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war between the United States and Britain, included an article demanding the return of enslaved people taken by British forces. The episode dives into the complex politics of the time, the British offer of freedom to enslaved Americans who escaped to their lines, and the eventual transfer of around 3,000 Black Loyalists to Nova Scotia and Trinidad. Lucas explains the legal battles over compensation and the lasting impact on the Underground Railroad. The conversation highlights key figures like Admiral Alexander Cochrane, who issued the emancipation proclamation, and the role of the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron in suppressing the slave trade post-1815. Listeners will gain a fresh perspective on how a forgotten clause in a peace treaty shaped the fight against slavery. #TreatyOfGhent #WarOf1812 #SlaveTrade #BlackLoyalists #AlexanderCochrane #NovaScotia #Trinidad #RoyalNavy #WestAfricaSquadron #IllegalSlaveTrade #UndergroundRailroad #BritishEmancipation #USHistory #AtlanticHistory #19thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In Episode 63 of The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering, Lucas and Luna explore the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 — a federal law that forced Northern citizens to participate in the capture of escaped slaves, even in states where slavery was illegal. They discuss the case of Anthony Burns, a fugitive from Virginia arrested in Boston, whose trial and violent return south galvanized the abolitionist movement. The episode also covers the broader implications of the law, including the rise of the Underground Railroad, the role of Harriet Tubman, and the legal battles of fugitives like Thomas Sims and Shadrach Minkins. Lucas explains how the Act turned free soil into a battleground, deepening the divide between North and South in the decade before the Civil War. The conversation touches on the political maneuvering of Henry Clay and Millard Fillmore, the response of Northern states with personal liberty laws, and the moral dilemma of citizen enforcement. The episode ends with a reflection on how legal systems can be twisted to enforce injustice, and the courage of those who resisted. #FugitiveSlaveAct1850 #AnthonyBurns #UndergroundRailroad #HarrietTubman #ThomasSims #ShadrachMinkins #HenryClay #MillardFillmore #CompromiseOf1850 #PersonalLibertyLaws #Abolitionism #Boston #AntiSlavery #SlaveCatchers #19thCentury #USHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the little-known story of the British Royal Navy's anti-slave trade patrols off the coast of West Africa and Brazil in the 1820s and 1830s. They explore the 1826 Anglo-Brazilian treaty that outlawed the slave trade, the creation of the Mixed Commission courts in Rio de Janeiro and Freetown, and the cat-and-mouse game between British cruisers and Brazilian slavers. The conversation covers the role of Commodore Sir George Collier, the infamous 'guerre aux côtes' (war on the coasts) strategy, and the fate of liberated Africans who were apprenticed in Brazil. Lucas highlights the paradox of British moral crusading amid its own colonial interests, and the episode examines why the trade actually increased after the treaty before finally declining. Key terms include: Mixed Commission, liberated Africans, apprentice system, slaver schooners, and the 1845 Aberdeen Act. #AngloBrazilianTreaty1826 #MixedCommission #RoyalNavy #SlaveTradePatrols #GeorgeCollier #RioDeJaneiro #Freetown #LiberatedAfricans #ApprenticeSystem #AberdeenAct #BritishAbolition #SlaveTradeSuppression #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticWorld #19thCentury #WestAfrica #Brazil Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In 1841, the brig Creole was transporting 135 enslaved people from Virginia to New Orleans when the captives rose up, seized the ship, and sailed it to freedom in the Bahamas. This episode tells the story of Madison Washington, the literate enslaved cook who led the revolt, and the legal firestorm that followed. The rebellion forced the US and Britain to the brink of diplomatic crisis over the right of self-liberated people to claim asylum under British law. We explore the political context of the antebellum South, the role of the Amistad precedent, and the quiet heroism of the Bahamian black community that welcomed the Creole's passengers. A pivotal moment when enslaved people seized their own destiny and forced two empires to reckon with the meaning of freedom. #CreoleRevolt #MadisonWashington #SlaveShipRebellion #USCoastSlaveTrade #Bahamas #Nassau #DanielWebster #LordAshburton #WebsterAshburtonTreaty #Amistad #Abolition #1841 #AntebellumSouth #CoastalSlaveTrade #BritishAsylum #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticSlaveTrade Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

This episode turns from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean world, exploring the East African slave trade that ran through Zanzibar and the Swahili Coast. Lucas and Luna discuss how Omani sultans built an empire on cloves and slaves, the brutal dhow passages across the monsoon seas, and the career of Tippu Tip, a Zanzibari trader who pushed slave caravans deep into the Congo. They look at the 1873 Frere Treaty, which forced the closure of Zanzibar's slave market, and the complicated legacy of figures like David Livingstone and the British anti-slavery campaign in East Africa. The episode also touches on the Shirazi myth, the rise of Mombasa's Mazrui dynasty, and how the Indian Ocean trade differed from the Atlantic system in scale, organisation, and eventual abolition. #Zanzibar #IndianOceanSlaveTrade #TippuTip #OmaniEmpire #SwahiliCoast #CloveIslands #FrereTreaty #DavidLivingstone #Mombasa #Mazrui #Shirazi #EastAfrica #SultanBarghash #DhowTrade #Abolition #History #FexingoHistory #Slavery Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the 1843-44 La Escalera conspiracy in Cuba, a brutal episode of repression that crushed a suspected slave uprising. They discuss the economic boom of sugar production, the role of the British Slave Trade Suppression Treaty of 1817, the British Mixed Commission in Havana, and the rising fears of a Haitian-style revolt. The conversation centers on the figure of the free black poet and former slave Gabriel de la Concepción Valdés, known as Plácido, who was executed in 1844 for his alleged involvement. Lucas explains how Captain General Leopoldo O'Donnell used torture and mass arrests to extract confessions, leading to the deaths of hundreds of enslaved people and free people of color. The episode also touches on the impact of the Amistad case and the emerging abolitionist movement in Cuba, and reflects on the legacy of La Escalera as a symbol of state terror and resistance. #LaEscalera #Cuba #Plácido #GabrielDeLaConcepciónValdés #LeopoldoO'Donnell #SlaveConspiracy #1844 #Abolition #Slavery #Havana #Sugar #BritishMixedCommission #Amistad #Repression #19thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticSlaveTrade Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Tacky's War, also known as the 1760 Easter Rebellion, was the largest and most coordinated slave uprising in the British Caribbean before the Haitian Revolution. This episode dives into the revolt led by Tacky, an Akan-speaking Coromantee from the Gold Coast, who mobilized over a thousand enslaved people across the parishes of St. Mary, St. Thomas, and Portland in Jamaica. We explore the revolt's origins in the brutal sugar plantation system, the role of Akan military tactics and obeah spiritual leaders, the shocking murder of the fort keeper at Fort Haldane, and the eventual suppression by British forces and Maroon allies. We also examine the brutal aftermath—hundreds executed, heads displayed on poles, and the 1760 Slave Act that tightened controls. Lucas and Luna discuss how Tacky's War reshaped colonial policy, inspired later rebellions, and why it remains a symbol of resistance in Jamaican memory. #TackysWar #Jamaica #Coromantee #Akan #1760Rebellion #EasterRebellion #SlaveRevolt #CaribbeanHistory #Obeah #FortHaldane #Maroons #SugarPlantations #BritishEmpire #GoldCoast #Resistance #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticSlaveTrade Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

The transatlantic slave trade didn't just connect Africa to the Caribbean and North America. By the 18th century, the Portuguese colony of Brazil had become the single largest destination for enslaved Africans, taking in nearly five million souls over four centuries. This episode focuses on the brutal yet foundational link between Angola and Rio de Janeiro—the 'South Atlantic system.' We follow the journey from the slave ports of Luanda and Benguela, the role of 'pombeiros' (African and Luso-African slave traders who ventured inland), the infamous 'piece of India' and 'indies piece' valuation system, and the lethal middle passage across the South Atlantic. How did Portuguese merchants, African intermediaries, and the Rio-based 'comissários volantes' (traveling commissioners) sustain a trade that transformed Brazilian society? Lucas and Luna explore the logistical horror and the cultural echoes that still resonate today. #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticSlaveTrade #Angola #Brazil #RioDeJaneiro #Luanda #Benguela #Pombeiros #SouthAtlantic #SlaveTrade #PieceOfIndia #ComissariosVolantes #PortugueseColony #AfricanDiaspora #ColonialBrazil #BlackHistory #GlobalHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode of The Atlantic Slave Trade, Lucas and Luna explore the Haitian Revolution—the only successful slave revolt in history. They focus on the pivotal 1791 uprising in Saint-Domingue, led by the Vodou priest Boukman Dutty, and the subsequent emergence of Toussaint Louverture as a military and political genius. The conversation covers the Bois Caïman ceremony, the burning of plantations, the brutal reprisals by the French, and the complex political maneuvering between revolutionaries, royalists, and Spanish and British invaders. Lucas explains how Louverture outmaneuvered all rivals, abolished slavery in the colony, and drafted a constitution before his capture and death in a French prison. The episode ends with the declaration of Haitian independence in 1804 under Jean-Jacques Dessalines, cementing the revolution's legacy as a radical break from the Atlantic slave system. #HaitianRevolution #ToussaintLouverture #Boukman #SaintDomingue #BoisCaïman #Vodou #SlaveRevolt #JeanJacquesDessalines #FrenchRevolution #LeclercExpedition #Abolition #CaribbeanHistory #AtlanticWorld #BlackHistory #Independence #Resistance #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the 1831 Baptist War, also known as the Christmas Rebellion, which was the largest slave uprising in Jamaican history. They explore the leadership of Samuel Sharpe, a literate enslaved Baptist deacon who organized a peaceful strike that turned into a full-scale revolt. The discussion covers the strategic use of the Christmas holiday, the brutal suppression by colonial forces, the role of the Maroons and the West India Regiment, and the rebellion's profound impact on the British abolitionist movement, ultimately accelerating the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. Lucas provides vivid details of the rebellion's spread across the parish of St. James, the destruction of Great Houses, and the betrayal by a slave driver. The episode also touches on the controversial executions and Sharpe's final words, framing the rebellion as a pivotal moment that reshaped the British Empire's approach to slavery. #BaptistWar #ChristmasRebellion #SamuelSharpe #Jamaica #Slavery #Abolition #1831 #StJamesJamaica #MontegoBay #ThomasFowellBuxton #SlaveryAbolitionAct1833 #Maroons #WestIndiaRegiment #NativeBaptists #WilliamKnibb #CaribbeanHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Lucas and Luna dive into the most notorious leg of the transatlantic slave trade: the Middle Passage. They trace the journey from African coast to Caribbean plantation, describing the horrific conditions below deck—the 'loose pack' and 'tight pack' methods, the stench, the disease, and the constant threat of rebellion. They focus on the slave ship Brookes, whose 1788 diagram became an icon of abolitionist propaganda, and the 1781 Zong massacre, where 132 enslaved people were thrown overboard for insurance money. Lucas explains the brutal calculus of slave ship captains, the role of African polities in the trade, and the legal battles that followed. Luna asks about resistance on board—and Lucas tells of the 1765 mutiny on the ship Hope, led by a woman named Abba, which succeeded in seizing the vessel and returning to Africa. The episode ends with a reflection on the human cost of the trade and the resilience of those who survived. #MiddlePassage #SlaveShip #Brookes #ZongMassacre #HopeMutiny #Abba #Abolition #OlaudahEquiano #GranvilleSharp #TightPack #LoosePack #SlaveDeck #Insurance #AtlanticSlaveTrade #Resistance #History #FexingoHistory #Slavery Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In 1839, fifty-three Africans led by Sengbe Pieh (known as Joseph Cinqué) seized the schooner La Amistad off the coast of Cuba, sparking a legal and political battle that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. This episode explores the Mende captives' origins, their secret society rituals (Poro and Sande), the role of abolitionists like Lewis Tappan and John Quincy Adams, and the eventual return of survivors to Sierra Leone. We discuss the Mendi Mission, the Lomboko slave factory, and the complex legacy of a rebellion that became a symbol of resistance. #Amistad #Mende #SengbePieh #JosephCinqué #LaAmistad #Poro #Sande #MendiMission #Freetown #Gallinas #Lomboko #SupremeCourt #JohnQuincyAdams #LewisTappan #1839 #SlaveRebellion #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In 1823, a carefully planned slave rebellion in the British colony of Demerara (now Guyana) was betrayed from within. This episode explores the uprising led by Jack Gladstone and his father Quamina, the role of missionary John Smith who was accused of inciting the revolt, and the brutal aftermath that saw hundreds executed. We examine the colony's sugar plantations, the oppressive conditions that sparked the rebellion, and how the event influenced the British abolitionist movement. Learn about the key figures—Governor John Murray, the 'Daddy' Quamina, and the enslaved drivers who organized secretly under the guise of religious meetings. The rebellion's failure and the subsequent crackdown exposed the contradictions of an empire moving toward emancipation while violently suppressing resistance. #DemeraraRebellion1823 #JackGladstone #Quamina #JohnSmith #BritishGuiana #SlaveRevolt #AbolitionMovement #LondonMissionarySociety #SugarPlantations #Emancipation #PlantationSociety #1820s #CaribbeanHistory #ColonialResistance #Betrayal #History #FexingoHistory #SlaveryResistance Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode of The Atlantic Slave Trade, Lucas and Luna explore the often-overlooked role of Angola—the single largest source of enslaved Africans for the Americas. They focus on two figures: Queen Nzinga, the 17th-century monarch of Ndongo and Matamba who fought Portuguese colonialism and participated in the slave trade; and the Imbangala, feared warriors who allied with the Portuguese to raid for captives. Lucas explains how political fragmentation and the trade in slaves shaped Central Africa for centuries, noting that more than half of all enslaved people brought to Brazil came from Angola. He describes the royal monopoly on captives, the role of Afro-Portuguese merchants known as pombeiros, and the fort of São Paulo de Luanda. Luna reflects on the tragedy of Nzinga, who fought for independence but also sold millions into slavery. The episode concludes with a meditation on how local power structures both resisted and participated in the Atlantic system, leaving a complex legacy that continues to shape the region today. #Angola #QueenNzinga #Imbangala #Ndongo #Matamba #Luanda #PortugueseEmpire #SlaveTrade #CentralAfrica #Kongo #AtlanticHistory #Colonialism #Brazil #Pombeiros #AfricanResistance #History #FexingoHistory #17thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In November 1781, the captain of the British slave ship Zong ordered 132 enslaved Africans thrown overboard to their deaths—not in a storm, not in a revolt, but because he wanted to collect insurance money. This episode of The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering examines the Zong massacre, the subsequent legal case that treated enslaved people as cargo, and the unlikely figure who brought the atrocity to public attention: Olaudah Equiano, the formerly enslaved abolitionist. We explore how the case became a rallying cry for the abolition movement, the legal doctrine that valued lives as property, and the chilling logic of maritime insurance in the 18th century. Gregson v. Gilbert, Lord Mansfield, Granville Sharp, and the legal battle that redefined humanity in the eyes of the law—all set against the brutal economics of the triangular trade. #ZongMassacre #Zong #OlaudahEquiano #GranvilleSharp #LordMansfield #GregsonvGilbert #SlaveShip #MaritimeInsurance #AbolitionMovement #1781 #BritishSlaveTrade #TriangularTrade #MiddlePassage #InsuranceFraud #LegalHistory #HumanRights #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the 1839 Lemba slave revolt in Cuba, a largely overlooked uprising led by a Congo-born slave named Lemba. They discuss the context of Cuba's booming sugar economy, the brutal conditions on ingenios, and how Lemba organized a rebellion that burned plantations and evaded Spanish forces for months. The conversation touches on the role of Cabildos de Nación, the impact of the Haitian Revolution on Spanish fears, and the revolt's brutal suppression. Lucas explains why this revolt, though unsuccessful, reshaped colonial policies and inspired future resistance. Key figures include Captain General Miguel Tacón, the rebel leader Lemba, and the local militia commander Andrés de Zayas. The episode sheds light on the often-forgotten role of Central African captives in Cuban slave revolts. #Lemba #Cuba #SlaveRevolt #AtlanticSlaveTrade #SugarPlantations #Cabildos #Congo #1839 #MiguelTacon #HaitianRevolution #Ingenios #Matanzas #Resistance #SpanishColony #CentralAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #AfricanDiaspora Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In August 1823, over 10,000 enslaved Africans on the sugar plantations of Demerara (modern-day Guyana) rose up in what became the largest slave rebellion in British Caribbean history. This episode tells the story of the Demerara Revolt, a rebellion that shook the British Empire and accelerated the abolition movement—yet ended in brutal suppression and the execution of its leader, a literate enslaved cooper named Jack Gladstone, along with the execution of the missionary John Smith, whose death became a cause célèbre. We explore the role of the London Missionary Society, the influence of the 'new register' slaves from Africa after the end of the legal slave trade, the complex relationships between enslaved drivers, managers, and missionaries, and the rebellion's aftermath in the British press and Parliament. Featuring the key figures of Jack Gladstone, his father Quamina, the missionary John Smith (the 'Demerara Martyr'), and Governor John Murray, as well as the plantations of Success, Le Resouvenir, and Bachelor's Adventure. A story of hope, fear, and the high cost of resistance. #DemeraraRebellion #JackGladstone #Quamina #JohnSmith #DemeraraMartyr #LondonMissionarySociety #BritishSlaveRevolt #GuyanaHistory #SugarPlantations #AbolitionMovement #1823 #SuccessPlantation #LeResouvenir #BachelorAdventure #JohnMurray #SlaveResistance #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising, a pivotal but often overlooked chapter in the struggle for Polish independence. They explore the leadership of Tadeusz Kościuszko, a hero of the American Revolution who returned to his homeland to lead a desperate rebellion against Russian and Prussian domination. The conversation covers the Proclamation of Połaniec, which promised emancipation to serfs fighting for freedom, the brutal Battle of Racławice where peasants armed with scythes defeated Russian troops, and the eventual suppression of the uprising after the Battle of Maciejowice. Lucas explains the role of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's internal weaknesses, the partitions of Poland, and how the uprising inspired later nationalist movements. Luna's questions highlight the contrasts between Kościuszko's ideals and the realities of 18th-century Poland, the symbolic power of the peasant scythemen, and the legacy of the uprising in Polish memory. This episode offers a fresh perspective on a rebellion that fought for liberty and social justice against overwhelming odds. #KosciuszkoUprising #TadeuszKosciuszko #PolishLithuanianCommonwealth #BattleOfRaclawice #ProclamationOfPolaniec #SerfsEmancipation #PeasantScythemen #PartitionsOfPoland #CatherineTheGreat #RussianEmpire #PrussianArmy #BattleOfMaciejowice #WarsawUprising #PolishIndependence #AmericanRevolution #history #FexingoHistory #18thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In February 1763, a slave revolt unlike any before erupted in the Dutch colony of Berbice, on the Caribbean coast of modern Guyana. Led by a Coromantee man named Cuffy (or Kofi), thousands of enslaved Africans seized control of the colony for nearly a year, demanding independence and recognition from European powers. This episode explores Cuffy's rise, the multi-ethnic coalition of rebels that included Akan, Gbe, and other captives, and the brutal suppression by Dutch and mercenary forces under Governor Jan Wolters. We examine Cuffy's extraordinary letter to the Dutch declaring sovereignty, the internal divisions that fractured the rebellion, and its lasting legacy as a precursor to later anti-colonial movements. Unlike the better-known revolts in Haiti or Jamaica, Berbice offers a stark example of an almost successful slave state in the Americas, crushed only when European reinforcements arrived. We also discuss the colony's unique geography of rivers and sugar plantations, and how the memory of Cuffy remains a symbol of resistance in Guyana today. #Cuffy #Berbice #SlaveRevolt #1763 #Coromantee #Akan #Guyana #DutchColonial #SugarPlantation #AtlanticSlaveTrade #JanWolters #Gbe #Rebellion #Independence #18thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #Resistance Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

The transatlantic slave trade is often told through the experiences of men, but women were subjected to unique horrors and forms of resistance. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the gendered dimensions of enslavement—from the disproportionate capture of women in Africa to their role in plantation labor, reproduction as a tool of capital, and acts of defiance like infanticide and poisoning. They discuss the 'fancy trade' in New Orleans, the legal status of enslaved women's children under partus sequitur ventrem, and the lives of women like Marie-Josèphe Angélique, who was executed for allegedly setting fire to Montreal. Drawing on the work of historians like Jennifer L. Morgan and Daina Ramey Berry, this episode sheds light on a too-often overlooked aspect of this brutal history. #AtlanticSlaveTrade #EnslavedWomen #GenderedHistory #Slavery #MarieJosèpheAngélique #PartusSequiturVentrem #FancyTrade #NewOrleans #Montreal #Reproduction #Resistance #Infanticide #JenniferLMorgan #DainaRameyBerry #History #FexingoHistory #WomenInHistory #SlaveryEconomics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

This episode shifts focus to the Senegambia region, a major source of enslaved Africans for the Atlantic trade, yet often overshadowed by the Bights of Benin and Biafra. Lucas and Luna explore the role of the Wolof and Fula kingdoms, the French slave trade from Saint-Louis and Gorée Island, and the infamous 'House of Slaves' door of no return. They discuss how regional politics—like the wars between the Wolof, Serer, and Fula—fed captives to European traders, and how the French Compagnie du Sénégal operated. The episode also examines the fate of enslaved Senegambians in the Americas, particularly in Louisiana and Saint-Domingue, and the legacy of resistance, including the story of the slave ship L'Amitié mutiny in 1790. A nuanced look at a vital but lesser-known chapter of the Atlantic slave trade. #Senegambia #Wolof #GoreeIsland #FrenchSlaveTrade #SaintLouisSenegal #Fula #SlaveFort #AtlanticSlaveTrade #Louisiana #SaintDomingue #CompagnieDuSenegal #HouseOfSlaves #DoorOfNoReturn #FutaTorro #LAmiteMutiny #History #FexingoHistory #Slavery Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In September 1739, about 20 enslaved people from Kongo, many of them Catholic, gathered near the Stono River in South Carolina. They seized firearms, killed several white colonists, and marched south toward Spanish Florida, gathering recruits along the way. The rebellion, known as the Stono Rebellion, was the largest slave uprising in the British mainland colonies before the American Revolution. Lucas and Luna explore the rebellion's origins in the Kongo Kingdom's civil wars, the role of Catholicism and the Spanish promise of freedom at Fort Mose, and the brutal crackdown that followed. They also examine how the rebellion reshaped South Carolina's slave codes, restricting assemblies, education, and movement. Drawing on recent scholarship, they discuss whether the rebels were influenced by Kongolese military traditions or the example of the Haitian Revolution. Warning: contains descriptions of violence against enslaved people. #StonoRebellion #Kongo #FortMose #SouthCarolina #SlaveCodes #NegroAct1740 #Catholicism #SpanishFlorida #StonoRiver #1739 #ColonialAmerica #EnslavedResistance #Kongolese #Baptism #SlaveTrade #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticWorld Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In 1812, Cuba came closer than ever to a full-scale slave rebellion, orchestrated by a free black carpenter named José Antonio Aponte. This episode explores the Aponte Rebellion, a conspiracy that aimed to overthrow colonial rule and establish an independent black republic. We trace Aponte's network of free and enslaved Africans, the "Book of Paintings" he used to organize his followers, and the brutal crackdown that followed. The rebellion's suppression led to hundreds of executions and a tightened grip of slavery on the island for decades. We also discuss the influence of the Haitian Revolution and the role of the cabildos de nación — African mutual-aid societies that served as breeding grounds for resistance. Aponte's story is a powerful lens into the intersection of art, religion, and revolutionary politics in the Atlantic world. #AponteRebellion #JoséAntonioAponte #Cuba #Havana #SlaveRebellion #1812 #HaitianRevolution #Cabildos #BookOfPaintings #Lucumí #Yoruba #History #FexingoHistory #AtlanticWorld #ColonialCuba #Slavery #Resistance #AfricanDiaspora Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In 1762, during the Seven Years' War, a British expedition force of over 12,000 men descended on Havana, the pearl of the Spanish Caribbean. After a two-month siege, the city fell, and British occupation lasted nearly a year. But this episode goes beyond the military campaign to a hidden chapter: the massive influx of enslaved Africans brought by the British to rebuild Havana's fortifications and plant sugar. We explore how the British used captured Spanish ships to import over 1,000 slaves from Jamaica and Africa, laying the groundwork for Cuba's explosive sugar boom. We meet figures like Admiral George Pocock and the Earl of Albemarle, and examine the Treaty of Paris 1763, which traded Havana for Florida. Featuring details on the slave trade infrastructure the British left behind, the rapid growth of sugar mills, and the contrast with British Jamaica's already mature slave economy. A story of empire, conquest, and the forced migration that reshaped Cuba. #Havana1762 #BritishEmpire #SevenYearsWar #Cuba #SlaveTrade #Sugar #GeorgePocock #Albemarle #TreatyOfParis1763 #Florida #Jamaica #MorroCastle #AfricanDiaspora #AtlanticHistory #18thCentury #MilitaryHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo