Ep. 70: Triangular Trade, Pt. 3: Rum, Rhode Island, Barbados and the African Slave Trade

With the growing relationship between New England and Barbados, the economy stabilized. The North to South trade benefited everybody. Sugar and rum seemed to share a co-monarchy. They were KINGS! The East to West trade across the Atlantic promised more. Men like Emanuel Downing, John Smith, and Thomas Keyser advanced the idea and practice of African Slavery. Men like Samuel Sewall challenged the growing slave industry. Despite his efforts, the practice grew. The profits and investment throughout the North American colonies quickly advanced local economies and industries throughout the colonies. The backbone of the colonial resources was built around sugar and rum. Many of the emerging commercial enterprises would have a major impact, not just in the days leading up to the American Revolution, but after. This episode sets the stage for the expansion of Carribean slave plantations to the mainland, the Navigation Acts, Writs of Assistance, targeted taxation, and how it had a ripple effect across the colonial landscape. Audio Production by Podsworth Media.

History Comes Alive! with Jeff Nichols