Pedro Blanco and the West African Forts

This story has everything. Raids to enslave people. A bloody rebellion at sea. Piracy. A diplomatic crisis pitting Spain, the United States and England at odds with each other. High stakes courtroom drama which sparked intense clashes between abolitionists and cheerleaders of slavery. Some of the most powerful people in the world debating the pros and cons of the case, including government officials from multiple countries, three American presidents (Adams, Martin Van Buren, and John Tyler), and at least a couple of queens (Queen Victoria of Britain and Queen Isabella II of Spain). A 73 year-old former US President arguing in front of the Supreme Court for the freedom of a group of Africans, and stating that protecting them was the greatest event in his life. Despite having all these epic ingredients, the tale I’m about to tell you had faded into obscurity until the 1960s. And even then, it remained mostly unknown until good, ole Steven Spielberg made a movie about it in the 1990s. Incidentally, that’s one of the few reasons why this story has attracted any attention. Even to this day, preciously little about this is usually found in academic texts on U.S. history.

If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to access plenty of bonus content. 

All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkTree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, including:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HOF YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

JAPAN TOUR! Let’s head out to Japan in Oct 2026. All the details at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Geek Nation Tours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

My daughter’s links: https://linktr.ee/isabellahanbolelli 

Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Purest Mushrooms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount.

Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dakota Pure Bison⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout.

This episode is supported by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Arizona State University⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about how ASU supports all learners through all stages of life.

My friend James Pieratt is one of the world’s top functional training experts, and a record-breaking hybrid athlete. Use the code WH25 for a 25% discount on all of his training programs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wild Hunt Conditioning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices