Story perspectives

Royal Legacy: Monarchy's Profits from Slavery Exposed

1/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

Historian Brooke Newman, in The Crown’s Silence, reveals that by 1807 the Crown was the largest buyer of enslaved people, purchasing 13,000 men.
Despite abolition, the monarchy continued to profit from enslaved labor.
Newman notes that enslaved people were coerced into apprenticeships and military service after abolition.
The monarchy's ties to slavery reflect a complex legacy, as activists such as the Sons of Africa prompt shifts in royal attitudes.

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Story summary

Historian Brooke Newman, in The Crown’s Silence, reveals that by 1807 the Crown was the largest buyer of enslaved people, purchasing 13,000 men.
Despite abolition, the monarchy continued to profit from enslaved labor.
Newman notes that enslaved people were coerced into apprenticeships and military service after abolition.
The monarchy's ties to slavery reflect a complex legacy, as activists such as the Sons of Africa prompt shifts in royal attitudes.