Pedro Blanco
Encyclopedia
Pedro Blanco was a notorious Spanish slave trader based in Gallinas on the coast of Sierra Leone
in the second quarter of the 19th century. Before entering in the slave trade, Blanco ran a sugar mill in Cuba
.
Blanco sailed to Africa on the 'Conquistador', one of his ships. He began trading in African slaves in 1822, and by 1839 he controlled a network that fed Cuba's insatiable hunger for plantation workers. Blanco expanded his operation by establishing a working relationship with the African King Siaka.
He eventually had agents stationed at Cape Mount, Shebar, Digby
, Yougn Sestos and elsewhere. Blanco entered a partnership with one Carballo, with a center of operations in Havana and other branches in Puerto Rico
, Trinidad
, and the Republic of Texas
. His mercantile standing was so high that his credit bills were enthusiastically accepted in New York
, London
and many other well-known financial centers.
In Gallinas, Blanco built himself a private kingdom with storehouses on an island, his office on another island, and houses for his African wives on yet a third island. Slaves awaiting shipment were housed on the islands of Taro and Kamasun. In 1838, Blanco left Africa for Cuba and went to Barcelona
, all the time trading in slaves. He left Gallinas just before most of the La Amistad
Africans reached his stockades, but he left behind a network of employees to continue his business. It is likely that some of them handled the Amistad Africans. At any rate, he played a vital part in the development of the slave trade in this region. Blanco's business finally collapsed in 1848, and in 1854 he died in Genoa
.
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
in the second quarter of the 19th century. Before entering in the slave trade, Blanco ran a sugar mill in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
Blanco sailed to Africa on the 'Conquistador', one of his ships. He began trading in African slaves in 1822, and by 1839 he controlled a network that fed Cuba's insatiable hunger for plantation workers. Blanco expanded his operation by establishing a working relationship with the African King Siaka.
He eventually had agents stationed at Cape Mount, Shebar, Digby
Digby
- Canada :* Digby County, Nova Scotia** Digby, Nova Scotia, town** Digby, Nova Scotia , eastern half of Digby County*** Digby/Annapolis Regional Airport** Digby Neck, peninsula in Digby County...
, Yougn Sestos and elsewhere. Blanco entered a partnership with one Carballo, with a center of operations in Havana and other branches in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, and the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
. His mercantile standing was so high that his credit bills were enthusiastically accepted in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and many other well-known financial centers.
In Gallinas, Blanco built himself a private kingdom with storehouses on an island, his office on another island, and houses for his African wives on yet a third island. Slaves awaiting shipment were housed on the islands of Taro and Kamasun. In 1838, Blanco left Africa for Cuba and went to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, all the time trading in slaves. He left Gallinas just before most of the La Amistad
La Amistad
La Amistad was a ship notable as the scene of a revolt by African captives being transported from Havana to Puerto Principe, Cuba. It was a 19th-century two-masted schooner built in Spain and owned by a Spaniard living in Cuba...
Africans reached his stockades, but he left behind a network of employees to continue his business. It is likely that some of them handled the Amistad Africans. At any rate, he played a vital part in the development of the slave trade in this region. Blanco's business finally collapsed in 1848, and in 1854 he died in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
.