1681-1807: Cabinda became a significant embarkation center for enslaved Africans in the eighteenth century as British and French traders sought new sources o…

1681-1807: Cabinda became a significant embarkation center for enslaved Africans in the eighteenth century as British and French traders sought new sources of labor outside traditional ports. Acting as the Atlantic outlet for the Kingdom of Ngoyo, the port shared linguistic and legal structures with the nearby trading hubs of Loango and Malembo. Despite being part of a competitive trio of ports, Cabinda remained the least successful of the group until the major shifts in the trade following 1808. The site remained under African jurisdiction throughout this period, allowing it to stay open to traders of all nations despite various European attempts to establish a monopoly.