Cotton & Slavery

In the US, if/when we learn about the Atlantic Slave Trade, we typically talk about European traders “buying” slaves in Africa and shipping them to the Americas. But let’s back up a little bit - what were those people even being traded for?

Well, the types of goods varied from sugar to tobacco, but one of the most common commodities was cotton. Nearly 1/5 of West African slaves were purchased with calicoes, chintz, and other cotton textiles. And where did the Dutch and British get those fabrics from?

India.

WTF?! Why isn’t this piece of the slave trade more well known? Were South Asians aware of the supply chain they were participating in? What did Indians get out of this trade?

Image: cotton waiting to be ginned for export in 1930 @bdlmuseum