The Royal British African Company and its role in the African slave trade in America 1660-1752.

Abstract

In the context of European colonial expansion during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, monopolistic trading companies played a pivotal role in advancing the economic interests of imperial powers. Britain, in particular, sought to dominate maritime trade routes and global markets through the establishment of such entities. Among these, the Royal African Company, formally chartered in 1672 under the patronage of King Charles II, emerged as the principal British instrument for organizing and profiting from the transatlantic slave trade from West Africa to the American colonies.

British records indicate that the company was “granted full privilege to trade on the western coasts of Africa and a monopoly over the supply of slaves to English colonies in the Americas,” as stated in its founding charter. Operating under legal and institutional legitimacy, the company counted among its shareholders influential figures from the aristocracy and financial elite, including the king’s brother, James, Duke of York, who was one of its largest investors.

The Royal African Company was actively involved in what became known as the triangular trade, whereby British ships sailed to West Africa carrying manufactured goods—such as weapons, textiles, and alcohol—to be exchanged for enslaved Africans. These captives were then transported across the notorious Middle Passage to the Americas, where they were sold in return for colonial commodities like sugar, tobacco, and cotton, which were subsequently shipped back to Europe. This phase of the voyage has been described as a “journey of death,” with historians estimating mortality rates among enslaved individuals exceeding 15% on some voyages.

The company's significance lies not only in the scale of its slave trading operations but also in its active role in perpetuating systemic violence within African societies. It frequently exacerbated local conflicts and tribal wars to ensure a continuous supply of captives for the Atlantic slave markets. As historian Hugh Thomas observes, the company “was not merely a commercial intermediary but an armed institution willing to pursue profit by any means, even at the expense of African societal cohesion.”

This study aims to examine the institutional and political structure of the Royal African Company, the mechanisms of its trade networks, and the factors that enabled it to monopolize the transatlantic slave trade.