1669–1808: Grenada saw irregular shipments of enslaved people under French rule, but it transformed into a major disembarkation hub following the British acq…

1669–1808: Grenada saw irregular shipments of enslaved people under French rule, but it transformed into a major disembarkation hub following the British acquisition of the island in 1763. The growth of the local sugar industry and the island’s new role as a reshipment center for French colonies drove a massive increase in the Atlantic traffic. Liverpool merchants eventually dominated this trade, accounting for over 60 percent of the documented arrivals during the late eighteenth century. Approximately one-third of the individuals forcibly taken to Grenada originated from the Bight of Biafra, highlighting the specific commercial links of the British maritime system.