Year: 1660 · Places: Virginia, Northeast, Caribbean, South America, Europe, Africa
SUMMARYDid the Royal African Company come to America? (Nov 6, 2026). Record: yes, by ship and by agent. Chartered Dec 1660 as the Company of Royal Adventurers Trading into Africa; reorganized as the Royal African Company in 1672. Governor: James Stuart, Duke of York, later King James II (1660–88). Captives were branded "DoY" (Duke of York) or "RAC." Carried: 21,298 people (1663–66); 186,748 people on 652 voyages (1672–1731), 16,077 of whom died on the ships. Destinations 1663–66: Barbados 8,778, Jamaica 4,445, St. Kitts/Suriname/Nevis 1,250; 1,718 sold to Spanish agents for silver. Virginia: the company delivered captives to its agents in Virginia, who earned a 7% commission on each sale (NPS Jamestown); the Navigation Act (1660) forced planters to buy from English ships. Pattern (the same man): the Duke of York ran the company and is the "York" of New York, renamed for him when the English fleet arrived at New Amsterdam (1664). Money: the company supplied West African gold to the English Mint (1668–1722); the coin was named the "guinea" after the gold's source. Endings: monopoly ended 1689 in practice (James II deposed) and 1697–98 by law (Trade with Africa Act opened trade to "separate traders"). Insolvent 1708; dissolved 1750–52. Edward Colston (deputy governor 1689–90) moved shares to King William III (1689); his statue was pulled into Bristol harbor June 7, 2020
OPENexact RAC delivery totals to Virginia and Maryland (SlaveVoyages by port).