Historian Identifies 13,000 British Investors in Transatlantic Slave Trade

Historian William Pettigrew and a group of academic historians identified approximately 13,000 investors who financed the trafficking of 3.3 million enslaved Africans beginning in the 1560s. The research details how slave-derived wealth funded critical British infrastructure, including canals and docks, and provided endowments for the British Museum, the Royal Academy of Music, and several London hospitals.

The findings highlight the role of the Royal Society, which both invested in the trade and developed racist science to justify the practice. This historical evidence emerges amid political tension regarding the United Kingdom's legacy of slavery. In April, the Reform party announced a policy to halt visas for individuals from countries seeking slavery reparations.

Political reactions to the issue remain polarized. Nigel Farage stated he is tired of the conversation regarding the UK's complicity with slavery, while Reform party spokesperson Zia Yusuf characterized the UK as not being an ATM for ethnic grievances from the past.