8. Slave Trading Was Big Business in Northern Ports
In the 18th century, Northern ports like Providence, Boston, and Newport were major hubs for the transatlantic slave trade, with local merchants profiting heavily. Newport, in particular, dominated the trade, controlling between 60 and 90 percent of the U.S. slave trade during certain periods. Between 1709 and 1807, Rhode Island merchants sponsored over 900 slave ships, transporting more than 100,000 enslaved Africans to the New World (slavenorth.com). The Brown family of Providence, for example, was deeply involved in the slave trade, with at least five family members running one of the largest slave-trading businesses in New England. This extensive involvement in the slave trade significantly contributed to the economic development of these Northern cities.
