A Slaving Port?: The Captive and Conventional Trades in Newport, Rhode Island, 1768-1775

This chapter assesses the value of the transatlantic slave trade of late-colonial Newport, Rhode Island, relative to the ‘conventional’ trades, particularly the molasses trade. It is based on customs records from 1768–74, which provide details on vessels, cargoes, owners, and captains. The records reveal that while the transatlantic slave trade accounted for relatively few clearances, the high value of human cargo carried meant that Newport’s slave-trading merchants earned most of their profit from the African trade. In addition, the records reveal that ship captains tended to specialise in slave trading due to the premium placed on experience. The Caribbean molasses trade was important to Newport, both as the source of the raw ingredient for rum, the slavers’ trade good and as a profitable enterprise in itself. However, the coastal North American trade, which accounted for a majority of clearances, was relatively unimportant to Newport’s economy due to its low value and the fact that it was mostly in the hands of non-Rhode Islanders. Late-colonial Newport, therefore, qualifies as a true ‘slaving port,’ where merchants and mariners specialised in and earned significant profits from the commerce of captives.