jan 1, 1562 - Britain Joins the Transatlantic Slave Trade

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In 1562, John Hawkins set sail from England with three ships to capture Africans along the continent's west coast, explicitly seeking to make a profit in the New World.

Hawkins is widely considered to be the first English merchant to profit from the Triangle Trade. The success of his first voyage allowed him to make several more and, over the following decades, inspired other Englishmen to join in on the thriving business of trading slaves across the Atlantic.


(Image: Coat of Arms Granted to Hawkins Upon his Return to England, Featuring an Enslaved Male)

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