Slave-trade wealth was embedded in Britain’s financial system, research finds
New historical research reveals that the Bank of England's early financial foundations were significantly built upon wealth generated from the transatlantic slave trade. Historians identified dozens of directors and governors who were active investors in the trafficking of enslaved African people.
Why it matters
This research challenges the historical narrative of major financial institutions and highlights the deep-seated links between colonial-era slavery and modern global financial systems.
The scale of the financial system’s involvement in enslavement is greater than previously known or acknowledged. Composite: Guardian/Diana Ejaita The scale of the financial system’s involvement in enslavement is greater than previously known or acknowledged. Composite: Guardian/Diana Ejaita Enslaving nation Slavery Slave-trade wealth was embedded in Britain’s financial system, research finds Dozens of Bank of England directors and founding subscribers invested in trafficking of enslaved Africans
The Bank of England and the British financial system were for centuries deeply involved in the enslavement and transatlantic trafficking of millions of African people, according to new research on Britain’s slavery history.
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