How England’s political revolution empowered African leaders in the slave trade

How England’s political revolution empowered African leaders in the slave trade

In the late 17th century, a political upheaval in England had unexpected consequences thousands of miles away on the West African coast.

In 1672 the English Crown granted the Royal African Company of England a thousand-year monopoly over English trade in West Africa. Protected along the sea route by the Royal Navy, it had exclusive rights to forts and castles along the West African coast and the delivery of goods and enslaved people to English ports.

New research reveals that England’s Glorious Revolution of 1688, which changed the monarchy and the role of parliament, also shifted the balance of power in the transatlantic slave trade - giving African leaders greater leverage over European merchants.

Published in the Economic History Review, Competition and payments to African chiefs on the Gold Coast during the slave trade, 1679‒1704 by Jose Rowell Corpuz reveals how once its royal protection became uncertain, the Royal African Company paid more ‘gifts’ and other payments to African chiefs in order to maintain its market dominance.

Analysing over 24,000 payments made by the Royal African Company between 1679 and 1704, the research shows a shift in strategy to counter the threat of competition from other English merchants. It analyses the relation between uncertainty of privileges, the increased distribution of payments across African chiefs, and the changing composition of those payments.

The payments made weren’t for slaves or goods, but for influence. Chiefs who could stop or redirect trade became indispensable allies. Kings, queens and princes were the most powerful and received the biggest share, often in the form of European cloth, firearms, and alcohol.

Although the Gold Coast was a major exporter of gold before exporting enslaved people, European cloth was found to be most popular among African chiefs who demanded it to signal authority and status.

The data finds that the Royal African Company paid more to African chiefs on the sub-coast caravan routes whose geographical location gave them the power to stop or redirect trade. In some years these payments accounted for over 12% of the Royal African Company’s “gross income”.

Jose Rowell Corpuz, Assistant Professor in Economics at the University of Warwick said:

“This study sharpens the notion that the slave trade was not a free-for-all among European and African merchants. It demonstrates how gains from the slave trade were unequally divided in favour of the most wealthy and powerful individuals in West Africa who were actively negotiating terms - leveraging geography and political power to extract payments.”

The research offers a fresh perspective on pre-colonial economic history, showing how African leaders and European merchants influenced the contours of global trade. It also reinforces how political events in Europe had ripple effects far beyond its borders.

• Read the full research paper: Competition and payments to African chiefs on the Gold Coast during the slave trade, 1679‒1704