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Setting the Scene
📖 Setting the Scene
In 1660, England was becoming a trading nation. Ships sailed to India, West Africa, the Caribbean, and the American colonies, bringing back spices, sugar, tobacco, and — increasingly — enslaved people. The Royal African Company, founded in 1660, held the monopoly on English slave trading. London was growing as a commercial centre. Coffee houses opened (the first had appeared in the 1650s), becoming centres for business deals and news. This was an economy in transition — from medieval farming to early capitalism, from local markets to global trade.
What was the East India Company?: English trading company (founded 1600) with monopoly on trade with Asia. Under Charles II it expanded significantly — establishing permanent trading posts (factories) in India at Bombay (part of Catherine of Braganza's dowry in 1661). The basis of England's future Indian empire.
History glossary
- What was the East India Company?
- English trading company (founded 1600) with monopoly on trade with Asia. Under Charles II it expanded significantly — establishing permanent trading posts (factories) in India at Bombay (part of Catherine of Braganza's dowry in 1661). The basis of England's future Indian empire.
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📝 Exam Connection: The Slave Trade
The Royal African Company is significant:
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Quiz · Question 1 of 10
Which company was founded in 1660 and given a monopoly on the English slave trade?
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