1563-1810: British slave traders eventually rose to dominate the northern segment of the Atlantic slave-trading system, acting as the primary international c…

1563-1810: British slave traders eventually rose to dominate the northern segment of the Atlantic slave-trading system, acting as the primary international carriers after the decline of the Dutch in the late seventeenth century. Their commercial networks distributed captives across a wider range of New World territories than those of any other slaving nation. The traffic reached its all-time peak between 1799 and 1802, driven by merchants based in London, Bristol, and Liverpool who managed the vast majority of the voyages. Despite their late entry into the trade relative to the Portuguese, the British maintained their preeminence until the sudden passage of the abolition act in 1807.