Swedish slave trade

The European trading of slaves from Africa went on from the 16th century to the beginning of the 19th. What did Sweden think about the slave trade? I know! We were against it. Weren't we?...

Please say that we were against it? ... nooo... Slavery was nothing new in Sweden. Both before and during the Viking Era, there were slaves that had been taken as prisoners of war. These slaves were called thralls.

The thralls' children also became slaves. But with the arrival of Christianity during the middle ages people started regarding this as wrong. Slavery became forbidden and the last thralls were freed in the 14th century. About 300 years later in the middle of the 17th century the Dutchman Louis de Geer moves to Sweden. He realises how important iron manufacturing could become to Sweden and Swedish industry.

That's why Louis de Geer is sometimes called the Father of Swedish Industry. But de Geer also realises that iron has a function to fill in the slave trade. The slave traders need guns, and chains, and shackles. This is a very lucrative business. So despite the fact that Sweden is not yet taking part in the slave trade, the iron is used by other countries in their trading.

In the year 1646, de Geer gets permission from the queen, Kristina, to equip Sweden's first slave ship. The ship sails for Africa where they buy slaves that they sell in the West Indies. Many slaves die on the way. But economically it's still a very successful trip. It's such a success that the queen now wants to start a regular slave trading company.

In 1649, de Geer is given permission to start the Swedish African Company. The year after that, in 1650, Sweden buys a colony from the king of the Fetu-people, here in Africa. The colony is called The Swedish Gold Coast, or Cabo Corso. Here the company establishes stations for its slave trade. The Company also buys - and rebuilds - an old slave fort: Carolusborg.

The competition in this trade is tough. The British hijack several of the Swedish ships to try to get rid of the competition. And several countries long to get hold of Carolusborg. The Danes are the first to succeed. In 1658 they take the fort with the help of local Fetu-warriors.

Sweden and Denmark are at war but make peace in 1660. Now Sweden is supposed to get the fort back. But it turns out that the Dane in charge has sold the fort to the Dutch, and then slipped away with the money. The locals are fed up with the Dutch, they retake the fort and sell it to Sweden... again.

The Swedes use the fort until 1663 when the Dutch take it back. Without any fort in Africa not much slave trading can happen. Well, of course: During the 18th century Sweden becomes the world's foremost iron exporter... largely thanks to the slave trade. And not just because of the iron in the guns and chains.

The Brits buy copious amounts of Swedish iron in rods. They use this to buy slaves, so it kind of works as money in Africa. The iron rods have particular measurements and are specially ordered for this trade. It's called Voyage iron. When the slave trade is at its most intense phase Sweden exports - in just one year - 954 tons of voyage iron.

That's as heavy as five and a half blue whales. That is enough to buy a lot of slaves. In 1784 the Swedish king Gustav III buys a colony in the West Indies: Saint Barthélemy. The capital of the island is named after the king: Gustavia. The island's soil is not sufficient for big plantations.

Instead a profit is made from selling slaves onwards as well as letting other countries sell their slaves onwards from here. At the start of the 19th century the slave trade is forbidden in several European countries. Sweden is pressured to end its trade as well, and agrees to this in 1813. But although the trade is banned, it's still allowed to own slaves on St. Barts.

It's not until 1845 that the Swedish government agrees to abolish slavery on the island. Two years later, all slaves are freed. So Sweden was among the last countries in Europe to abolish slavery.