Monarchs, MPs and merchants: the register laying bare Britain's slave-trading past

TL;DR

A three-year project has produced the Register of British Slave Traders, documenting investors from the 1560s to 1807.
The register includes biographical details for up to 10,500 investors, providing a comprehensive picture of those involved in the enslavement of African people.
British monarchs, over 100 MPs, dozens of Bank of England directors, and over 1,000 women were investors in slave-trading companies.
The wealth generated from the slave trade funded various British institutions, including hospitals, schools, and cultural organizations.
Notable figures identified include King James II, composer George Frideric Handel, philosopher John Locke, and architect Sir Christopher Wren.
The register highlights the public and prestigious nature of the slave trade in Britain, contrary to its current perception as a guilty secret.
Successive British governments have refused to acknowledge perpetration or engage in reparatory justice, arguing that the slave trade was not illegal at the time.
The study draws on historical records, including company documents, wills, and official information, contrasting with the lack of documentation for enslaved people.
Major port cities like Bristol and Liverpool became dominant centers for slave trading, with many prominent figures and institutions linked to the practice.
The findings provide further evidence for global movements calling for European governments to acknowledge their role in enslavement and engage in reparatory justice.

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