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Royal Crown Branded on Enslaved Africans
14 Sep
Summary
- Enslaved Africans were branded with a mark including the British Crown emblem.
- The imprinting symbolized the monarchy's connection to the slave trade.
- A new register details British involvement in slavery from 1563 to 1807.
Enslaved Africans bore the brutal mark of the British Crown, according to new research. A project documenting British involvement in the slave trade uncovered that these individuals were branded with an emblem symbolizing the monarchy's historical connection to the practice.
The Register of British Slave Traders research, spanning from 1563 to 1807, lists thousands of individuals and institutions. Researchers found evidence of this branding, featuring the Crown and the South Sea Company logo, used to identify company-owned slaves in the Spanish Americas.
Historical letters from the South Sea Company directors provided detailed instructions for the slave trade, explicitly mentioning the use of irons made in England to mark enslaved people on their left shoulder. This practice highlights the direct involvement of London-based directors in the violence of the slave trade.
Academics emphasize the institution of the monarchy's long-standing financial and reputational ties to the slave trade. Buckingham Palace stated that King Charles is committed to understanding slavery and addressing historic wrongs, acknowledging the importance of academic work in this area.
