The Crown, the cabinet and the UK's legacy of slavery
Nov 25, 2023
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George Smith, descendant of a British politician who profited from slavery, discusses the investigation into the links between his family and the UK's legacy of slavery. The podcast explores the calls for reparations, the challenges of researching Caribbean slavery, and the reactions of King Charles and Jeremy Hunt to their connections with slavery.
The podcast explores the deep connections of influential figures in the UK, such as King Charles III and Jeremy Hunt, to the slave trade, highlighting their ancestors' roles in facilitating and supporting the slave economy.
The episode delves into the investigative work done to establish these connections, uncovering the significant involvement of individuals in the slave trade through slave ownership, importation, and administrative roles, showcasing Britain's extensive links to slavery.
Deep dives
UK's deep connections to the slave trade
The podcast explores the UK's deep connections to the slave trade, highlighting the legacy of slavery that has permeated through the country for centuries. It discusses the involvement of influential figures such as King Charles III and Jeremy Hunt, the UK's finance minister, whose ancestors were directly connected to the slave economy. The episode explores how their ancestors played significant roles, including being involved in the facilitation of goods produced by the enslaved, extending credit to plantation owners, and investing in assets critical to supporting the system of slavery. Additionally, the episode highlights the lasting impact of slavery on countries like Jamaica and the need for recognition, reparations, and a shift in mindset to move towards a new era of self-respect and honor.
Investigating the family histories
The podcast delves into the investigative work done to establish the connections between influential figures today and their ancestors involved in the slave trade. The host explains how they started by examining the family histories of various politicians, uncovering links between these individuals and the slavery economy, including slave ownership, administrative roles, importation of cotton, and involvement in politics. They highlight the discovery of George Smith, a merchant, banker, investor, and direct ancestor of both Jeremy Hunt and King Charles III, who exemplifies Britain's extensive connections to slavery.
The movement for reparations and legacy acknowledgment
The episode sheds light on the growing movement for reparations and official acknowledgment of the legacy of slavery. It emphasizes the call for Britain to apologize and provide reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. The podcast discusses protests, demands for apology, and the lack of response from political leaders such as Jeremy Hunt and Prince Charles. It also highlights the differing viewpoints between Britain and its former colonies regarding how the legacy of slavery should be addressed, with Britain declining to apologize or consider reparations, despite the potential involvement of King Charles and Jeremy Hunt in making any official apology or compensation if a decision were to be made.
At the start of the 19th century, a British politician named George Smith grew rich from slavery. Two centuries later, one of his descendants is Britain's newly anointed king. Another holds the keys to the nation’s Treasury and would oversee any future reparations. In this special podcast we look at how these links were investigated, we visit Jamaica to the site of a former plantation and speak to experts about why calls for a formal apology and reparations over slavery continue.