The British Empire grew into one of the most powerful empires in world history. Its ships ruled the seas, and its traders went to many parts of the world. But one of the darkest parts of its history began with a man named John Hawkins. He was one of the first Englishmen to start trading African people as slaves. His actions helped to start the British role in the transatlantic slave trade, a system that caused deep pain and suffering for millions of Africans.How John Hawkins Introduced Slavery: to the British Empire
This article will cover:
- Who John Hawkins was and what he did
- How Hawkins’ actions started the British slave trade
- How his legacy still affects the world today
Let’s take a closer look at how one man helped start a cruel system that changed the world.
Section 1: Who Was John Hawkins and What Did He Do?
John Hawkins: The Early Years
John Hawkins was born in 1532 in Plymouth, England, into a family of shipbuilders and sea traders. He grew up near the coast and learned how to sail and trade at a young age. Hawkins became interested in the wealth that came from trading with other countries. He especially wanted to find new ways to make money from England’s growing sea power.
By the 1560s, many European countries were making money from the slave trade, especially Spain and Portugal. Hawkins saw this as an opportunity for England to do the same.
How John Hawkins Introduced Slavery: to the British Empire
The First English Slave Trader
In 1562, John Hawkins made his first voyage to West Africa. He and his crew went to what is now Sierra Leone. There, he captured people or bought them from African traders and leaders. These Africans were often taken during tribal wars or simply kidnapped. Hawkins packed about 300 people into his ship and took them across the Atlantic Ocean.
He sold them in the Spanish colonies in the Caribbean, such as Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic). In return, he received sugar, pearls, hides, and gold.
This first trip was so profitable that Hawkins made two more voyages in 1564 and 1567. On these trips, he continued to capture and sell African people for goods and money. His actions made huge profits, and soon other English traders wanted to follow his example.
Support from Queen Elizabeth I
Hawkins was not just a rogue trader. He had help from the very top—Queen Elizabeth I of England. She gave him a ship named Jesus of Lübeck (a large, strong ship that belonged to the royal fleet) for his second slave voyage.How John Hawkins Introduced Slavery: to the British Empire
She also gave him a royal coat of arms with a symbol of a bound African man, which showed that his role in the slave trade was officially approved. This royal support made the slave trade seem like a respectable business in England.
This support helped open the door for other English merchants and nobles to get involved. Over time, what Hawkins started would grow into a massive slave-trading empire.
Section 2: How Hawkins Started the British Slave Trade
The Beginning of a Business Empire
Hawkins’s voyages were the first steps in a system that would become known as the transatlantic slave trade. The basic model was simple but cruel:
- English traders sailed to West Africa with goods like cloth, guns, and alcohol.
- They traded these items for African people, either captured by war or kidnapped.
- They shipped the slaves across the Atlantic in terrible conditions.
- In the Americas, they sold the slaves to plantations to work on sugar, tobacco, and cotton farms.
- The traders returned to England with crops and money.
This cycle became known as the Triangular Trade. Hawkins helped create it, and Britain would soon use it to build wealth for over 200 years.
The Horrors of the Middle Passage
The trip across the Atlantic Ocean was called the Middle Passage. Slaves were kept in chains, packed tightly into ships, and given little food or water. Many died before they even reached the Americas. Disease, hunger, and abuse were common.
Though the conditions were cruel, Hawkins and later traders focused only on profits. They viewed slaves as cargo—not people. This mindset helped spread a system that saw African lives as cheap and disposable.
Profit Over People
Hawkins made a huge amount of money from his slave voyages. So did his crew, his investors, and the royal family. Word spread quickly in England about the profits from slavery. Other traders and merchants wanted to get involved. Some of them became rich and powerful.
Soon, London, Liverpool, and Bristol became centers of the British slave trade. British traders began competing with the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and French for control over the slave markets in Africa and the Americas.How John Hawkins Introduced Slavery: to the British Empire
Hawkins had started something that would become one of the biggest businesses in British history—all built on human suffering.
Section 3: Hawkins’ Legacy and Its Lasting Effects
What Hawkins Left Behind
John Hawkins died in 1595, but his legacy did not end. The model he created for slave trading became the foundation for Britain’s growing empire. For the next 200 years, millions of African people were enslaved by British traders and forced to work in the Americas.
Slavery funded:
- The growth of British cities
- The building of banks and businesses
- The rise of British industries
- The creation of the British Empire itself
Without slavery, Britain would not have become one of the richest and strongest nations of the 18th and 19th centuries.
A Dark Chapter in British History
Hawkins is still remembered in some places as a sea hero or early explorer. But many people today see him as a man who started a cruel and inhuman business. His name is now often linked with shame and sorrow, especially among African and Caribbean communities.
Even today, the effects of slavery can be seen in:
- Racism and discrimination in the UK and across the world
- Poverty in many African countries that were affected by slave raids
- Unequal wealth between Europe and former colonies
- Lost culture and identity in African communities
There are still calls for justice, education, and reparations for the harm caused by slavery.
Reactions and Apologies
In recent years, there has been a push in Britain to acknowledge the full history of the empire and the role of men like Hawkins. Statues have been taken down, streets renamed, and museums updated to tell the truth.
However, some people still argue over whether apologies or reparations should be given. Others say that full education is the most important step.
The British government has not yet officially apologized for slavery, but some cities and churches have. More people are now learning the full story, including how John Hawkins helped begin it all.
Final Thoughts: Understanding the Roots of Empire
John Hawkins was not the only person responsible for the British slave trade, but he played a key role in starting it. He showed that slavery could bring big profits, and he had royal support to do it. What he began grew into one of the largest forced migration systems in history.
It’s important to understand how the British Empire was built—not just with ships and trade, but with stolen people and broken lives. Today, as we look at the effects of slavery, racism, and inequality, we must go back to the roots. And one of those roots lies with a man named John Hawkins.
If you want to learn more about Hawkins and the start of British slavery, you can visit British Library – The Origins of the British Slave Trade.
