₦airaland Forum

It must be very cold in Canada this month. Maybe she should join Reno in warm California and form mouth there.

op, many of the former NL faithful have already migrated to modern day social media platforms that have a blocking function. there's almost no one left here but the e-tribal warriors and the daily btw check out my signature miscreants trying to advertise their struggling business for free.
but to the mods credit they have managed the betting trolls fairly well.

pic is self-explanatory.

Seems like AGF Malami is undoing the work of former EFCC Chairman Magu. How market in the upper levels of the judiciary?
There has been no new arrests of politicians or the elite since Magu got sacked.

dawnomike:
We are busy are the moment with Fulani herdsmen matter... All I know is someone is lying and the other is saying the truth.

#Focus

which busy? e-busy as usual?

FFK is a persistent tribal rabble-rouser sha.

Time for the grifter to start hustling his properties again.



ELECTION 2020|Jan 19, 2021, 09:39pm EST| 121,358 views


Trump’s Cash Stream Dried Up In 2020

Dan AlexanderForbes Staff
Billionaires
Senior editor at Forbes, covering Donald Trump's business.


When Donald Trump took the oath of office four years ago, the Trump Organization didn’t stop selling his properties. In 2017, it dealt $32 million worth of condos and land on his behalf. In 2018, it got rid of an estimated $53 million worth of real estate. In 2019, it ditched another $32 million of holdings. Then, in 2020, something strange happened: The president’s business seems to have sold almost nothing.

Sure, there were three units in Las Vegas, which generated $435,000 for Trump. And it’s possible there were other deals, but after reviewing hundreds of property records, Forbes didn’t find any. In previous years, the president offloaded New York City condos, but that didn’t happen in 2020. Nor did any sales of apartments in Chicago or lots in California.

As a result, one of the president’s most reliable cash streams suddenly turned dry. The drought surely impacted Trump’s financial liquidity, which was already somewhat limited going into 2020. At the end of the previous year, Forbes estimated that Trump’s $3.1 billion fortune only included about $160 million of cash. His net worth declined to $2.5 billion in 2020, and, since he likely had to cover losses at his hotels, it’s possible that the president has less cash today.

The Trump Organization tried to sell several properties in 2020. During the early months, the business was hoping to trade the president’s Washington, D.C. hotel for a reported $500 million. One buyer, Brian Friedman, offered $175 million, which the Trump family turned down. In March, when the pandemic set in, reports surfaced that the Trump Organization was putting the listing on hold. By May, Friedman estimated the place was worth about half as much as he had offered.

Even with the D.C. deal on pause, there still seemed to be a good chance that the president could sell two other properties, 555 California Street in San Francisco and 1290 Avenue of the Americas in New York City. Trump owns 30% of both office buildings. Vornado Realty Trust holds the other 70% and therefore controls the fate of the assets. In June, Vornado announced that it was looking to recapitalize the buildings. Since Trump has an estimated $784 million of equity locked in the properties, a refinance or sale could theoretically create a windfall for him. In late November, word spread that Vornado was no longer considering a sale and was planning to refinance instead.

Other properties remain on the market. Trump has been trying to sell his estate on St. Martin for years. There has been some interest, including from a Chinese billionaire, but the property is still listed. In October, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump Organization was considering offloading another mansion, Seven Springs, in Bedford, New York, which is worth an estimated $30 million. But it hasn’t sold yet either.

Trump should be able to tap new cash streams soon. Post-presidencies can be quite lucrative, as Bill and Hillary Clinton showed, hauling in more than $240 million from 2001 to 2015 by writing books, giving speeches and so on. Trump could also strike new licensing deals and charge foreign developers to use his name on their buildings. After all, the president certainly has more contacts overseas today than he did four years ago.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out some of my other work here. Send me a secure tip.

Dan Alexander
I am a senior editor at Forbes, as well as the author of White House, Inc.: How Donald Trump Turned the Presidency into a Business, released Sept. 22, 2020.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2021/01/19/trumps-cash-stream-dried-up-in-2020/?sh=77efa8921f60

Dear, beloved coons, self-haters, a.lickers, and so called conservatives in this thread. stand down cloaked oyinbos.
Please take a moment and reflect on some well deserved pride in our Black/Negroid race.
Peaceful weekend to you all.


Senate confirms Lloyd Austin as America's first Black secretary of Defense
Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon, breaking one of the more enduring barriers in the U.S. government.

WASHINGTON – The Senate confirmed Lloyd Austin as the next Pentagon chief Friday, making him the nation’s first Black Defense secretary.

The Senate voted 93 to 2 to confirm Austin.

Austin’s confirmation follows Wednesday’s Senate confirmation of Avril Haines, who became the first woman to the lead nation’s 18 intelligence agencies as the director of national intelligence.

In back-to-back votes Thursday, the House and Senate passed legislation granting Austin, a retired four-star Army general, a waiver to lead the Pentagon. The Senate approved Austin’s waiver by a vote of 69-27 and the House approved the waiver by a vote of 326 to 78.

Under the National Security Act of 1947, Congress has prohibited any individual from serving as secretary of Defense within seven years of active-duty service. Austin left the Army in 2016 and therefore required a special congressional waiver in order to bypass the seven-year rule.

Former President Donald Trump’s first Defense secretary, James Mattis, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, also needed the same waiver from Congress.

Before becoming the 28th secretary of Defense, Austin served as a board member at defense giant Raytheon. Trump’s former Pentagon chiefs Mattis, Mark Esper and acting secretary of defense Patrick Shanahan also had ties to defense titans General Dynamics, Raytheon and Boeing.

The 1975 graduate of West Point would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon, breaking one of the more enduring barriers in the U.S. government

Update on the mystery ownership of the warehouse.


Missing state assets allegedly found in Okorocha’s warehouse

https://guardian.ng/news/missing-state-assets-allegedly-found-in-okorochas-warehouse/

By Collins Osuji and Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri
22 January 2021

Ex-gov cries foul, demands proof of ownership

Imo State Government has claimed the discovery of missing equipment of Nsu Ceramic and Tiles Industry in a warehouse owned by former governor, Rochas Okorocha, along Owerri/Aba road.

The administration of Sam Mbakwe established the industry in the early 1980s, but Okorocha’s government attempted to resuscitate it.

The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Simon Ibegbulem, told newsmen in Owerri, yesterday that the government assets were discovered by his team in the warehouse.

The warehouse, The Guardian gathered, is adjacent another one where the then Emeka Ihedioha administration allegedly discovered some of state’s properties.

According to him, the discovery was made possible after some patriotic citizens of the state revealed the hidden warehouse to the government.

“The equipment were looted from Ehime Mbano Council, the location of the industry, to the private warehouse of Okorocha (for use) to establish a personal industry.

“We gathered from those guarding the warehouse that sometimes, Okorocha’s people come here to pick some items and sell.

“However, some of the equipment we are looking for are here and we have come to take possession of the Imo properties. Anybody we see here will blame himself. We have taken over the government properties for the good of Imolites based on their demands,” Ibegbulem said.

BUT Okorocha, now a senator representing Orlu, has denied the state’s claim, tasking it to produce proof of ownership.

His media aide, Sam Onwuemedo, told The Guardian yesterday: “The government should disclose or publish the proof of ownership of all they claimed they had recovered.

“If Okorocha wanted to hide any item, could he have done so at a warehouse along the busy Aba road and opposite one of the biggest markets in Owerri, the Alaba International Market?”

He called on the police to investigate those in police uniforms, who invaded the warehouse, to find out whether they were really Nigeria police, “since it was not expected that police men would have gone for the invasion of the warehouse, without a valid court order.”

HOWEVER, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Print Media, Modestus Nwankpa, said the government needed some to get back to Okorocha.

Rochas Okorocha

"some idle and indolent wailers"

lolz, NL would lose some forum members if dey weren't so busy on here 24/7/365 asking readers to check dem signatures for free instead of buying ad space.


"He said "Now, something for those who twist my every word, turn it upside down, to generate hatred. Something for them to wail about. The release of the pigeons".

GOAL!

great to see all the great debaters keeping this thread alive!

Florida bank says it has closed Trump's accounts

BY JOSEPH CHOI - 01/21/21 02:47 PM EST

A Florida bank announced Thursday that it has closed down former President Trump’s account, joining a growing list of entities that have cut ties with the former president following the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

In his financial disclosures, Trump had stated he had two money-market accounts with Banks United, The Washington Post reports. The accounts held somewhere between $5.1 million and $25.2 million.

“We no longer have any depository relationship with him," said Banks United, without giving reasons for its decision to shutter the accounts.

Another Florida bank, Professional Bank, last week announced that it would be cutting ties with Trump, saying it would no longer conduct business with the former president or his organizations.

Signature Bank in New York and Deutsche Bank have also said they will no longer be conducting future business with Trump. Signature Bank notably took a strong stance against Trump and his allies in Congress, calling for him to resign and saying it would not conduct business with lawmakers who had objected to certifying the presidential election.

On The Money: Pelosi says House will move immediately on COVID-19...
Florida man charged in alleged monkey trafficking scheme
Deutsche Bank is seeking to resolve more than $300 million in loans, reportedly looking to offload the loans onto another lender due to the negative press their dealings with Trump has caused. Deutsche Bank's relationship with the Trump Organization is under a civil investigation by New York attorney general Letitia James.

James is investigating claims made by Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen that he had inflated the value of his assets and financial statements. Though the investigation is civil, James has said criminal charges may arise if anything suggesting criminality is discovered during her probe.

Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance is also conducting an investigation into whether or not Trump misrepresented the value of his assets in order to receive larger tax deductions. Vance recently expanded his investigation to include the Trump family's Westchester County estate, a historic mansion called Seven Springs, built by former Washington Post publisher Eugene Meyer.

TAGS MICHAEL COHEN DONALD TRUMP DEUTSCHE BANK FLORIDA THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION LEGAL AFFAIRS OF DONALD TRUMP

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/banking-financial-institutions/535282-florida-bank-says-it-has-closed-trumps-accounts

ZooOga:
Well worth the reading time to learn about the history of central banking, fiat currency based on perpetual bond debt, and inflation.

'The Secrets of the Federal Reserve'

https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_fed06.htm


And if you really have the time the Money Masters documentary will enlighten you as to reason for inflation. As a matter of fact I'm go re-watch now for a refresher.


Full Documentary The Money Masters


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB-pdPaQNKA

Secrets of The Federal Reserve | Eustace Mullins ~ in 2000, Canada


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpUzRc9OCgs

HAIRYANUS1:
.

But oil price has dropped globally why are we still experiencing inflation

Well worth the reading time to learn about the history of central banking, fiat currency based on perpetual bond debt, and inflation.

'The Secrets of the Federal Reserve'

https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_fed06.htm


And if you really have the time the Money Masters documentary will enlighten you as to reason for inflation. As a matter of fact I'm go re-watch now for a refresher.


Full Documentary The Money Masters


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB-pdPaQNKA

HAIRYANUS1:
I don't believe paper money(Fiat notes) is real money , they are bunches of IOUs created out of nothing producing debts via fractional reserve ratio lending of the central banks

I refer to all paper notes as currencies not money

it isn't, it's based on the petroleum dollar, but it still buys the meat, rice, bread and yams.

LordAdam16:
Her parents have their own company. She studied Law at Harvard. Her husband is an MLB (baseball) star.

She does not need a job. Mk una dey troll una mate.

-Lord

Hopefully she finds something lucrative in the family business. She won't land anything in corporate America anytime soon.

And her husband is jobless so she has to carry the yams, oops I mean french fries and burgers.

"Sean Patrick Gilmartin (born May 8, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays."

HAIRYANUS1:
God bless you
They are so entitled and lazy
Only depending on handouts
These leftist have nothing to offer

Always remember this for as long as you follow American politics and history.

HAIRYANUS1:
Stop trolling me hater

"Re: American Politics Thread - Biden’s Presidency by HAIRYANUS1: 12:55pm
ZooOga:
@kayleighmcenany done landed brand new job already! grin

. Boring"

If you can't stand the trolling/heat then don't comment on posts that bore you.

HAIRYANUS1:
. Boring

How so? it's good to have connections and be gainfully employed. her former boss was a brand influencer on the side.

@kayleighmcenany done landed brand new job already!

The judiciary has spent too much time on this criminal enemy of the state.
SENTENCE HIM NOW AND THROW AWAY THE BLEEPING KEY.

Naija is overly blessed with fertile land to grow food and raise livestock but almost every time I see pics of armed robbers from every region dem are looking skinny and malnourished. Which way forward Naija?

LOLZ, I 'm glad my memory cells still function.
Mr. former 9ja VP no support Mr former U.S. VP before the election sha, now him have the effrontery to form letter and mouth from Dubai.




Atiku Just Arrived WASHINGTON DC UNITED STATES OF AMERICA- PICTURES - Politics - Nairaland by Asshurbanipall: 8:27pm On Jan 17, 2019

https://www.nairaland.com/4967098/atiku-just-arrived-washington-dc


___________________________

How a Nigerian Presidential Candidate Hired a Trump Lobbyist and Ended Up in Trump’s Lobby — “Trump, Inc.” Podcast
We spent a night at President Donald Trump’s hotel in Washington, D.C. — and we met some interesting people.

by Katherine Sullivan Feb. 27, 2019, 4 a.m. EST

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-inc-podcast-nigerian-presidential-candidate-atiku-abubakar

This week, “Trump, Inc.” goes inside the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. Located in the Old Post Office, the hotel is at the center of three lawsuits alleging President Donald Trump is violating the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause barring the president from taking gifts from foreign governments.

We stayed the night. (Listen to our new episode about our visit.)

Among the many prominent guests we saw: Nigerian presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and his entourage. Nigeria’s elections were last weekend, and Abubakar was the main challenger to the incumbent president out of a crowded field of candidates. After a tightly contested race, he came in second.

Abubakar’s visit is surprising for several reasons. He had been reportedly barred from the U.S. for nearly 10 years for his alleged involvement in corruption while he was Nigeria’s vice president. Perhaps you remember the $90,000 in cash that was found in Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson’s freezer back in 2005? That was allegedly a bribe for Abubakar.

JESHAL:
Leftist propaganda

Grifter tears. Have yours dried up yet?


Don Jr. and Eric crying before they get on AF1.

Don Jr. and Eric crying before they get on AF1. pic.twitter.com/vtCbxVyUtd

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 20, 2021

Congrats good doctor. may u have a very successful medical career.

Great FP post on NL!

Trump stock performance falls short of Obama, Clinton

BY NIV ELIS - 01/19/21 04:24 PM EST

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/534881-trump-stock-performance-falls-short-of-obama-clinton


President Trump is closing out his time in office with a significant increase in the stock market, but has fallen short of stock gains seen under predecessors former Presidents Obama and Clinton.

From Trump's inauguration day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose from 19,827 to 30,930 on Tuesday, a 56 percent increase.

That increase is below the 73.2 percent rise the Dow saw in Obama's first term, or the 105.8 percent increase under Clinton's first term.

A similar trend was true for the S&P 500, which gained 67.8 percent under Trump, rising from 2,263 to 3,799. It gained 84.5 percent in Obama's first term, and 79.2 percent in Clinton's first term.

The sole exception in the past three decades has been former President George W. Bush, who saw the Dow fall 3.7 percent and the S&P fall 12.5 percent in his first four years in office.

The figure will be unwelcome news to Trump, who frequently touted the stock market's performance as a sign of his economic acumen and business-minded policies.

The outgoing president still highlighted the market in a farewell address Tuesday.

"The stock market set one record after another, with 148 stock market highs during this short period of time, and boosted the retirements and pensions of hardworking citizens all across our nation," he said, adding that 401(k)s reached new highs.

"We’ve never seen numbers like we’ve seen, and that’s before the pandemic and after the pandemic."

Other indicators also show that Trump fell short of several of his major economic campaign promises.

Trump, who campaigned on the unlikely promise to wipe out the $14.4 trillion debt held by the public, oversaw a whopping 50 percent increase in the debt level instead, leaving it at $21.6 trillion.

While a significant portion of that increase was due to emergency spending to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half is attributable to the combination of unfunded tax cuts and increases in domestic and military spending on top of the debt's previous growth trajectory.

Trump also failed to achieve the 3 percent annual growth rate he promised on the campaign trail and in office, let alone the 4, 5 or 6 percent rates he occasionally touted.

Dow jumps 250 points on final day of Trump presidency
On The Money: Yellen champions big spending at confirmation hearing...
He did oversee the largest quarterly economic growth on record in the third quarter, which rose at an annual rate of 33.1 percent, but that was largely a bounce back from the worst-ever quarter on record with a 31.4 percent drop in the second quarter amid the pandemic and 5 percent the previous quarter.

The one area where Trump's economic legacy shone was in unemployment, which fell to 50-year lows of 3.5 percent under his watch, and saw historic lows among groups such as African Americans and Latinos.

But as he leaves office, those figures are elevated as a result of the pandemic, with unemployment at 6.7 percent, including 9.9 percent for African Americans and 9.3 percent for Latinos.

POLITICS

‘The U.S. is back’: Europe cherishes Trump’s departure on Biden’s Inauguration Day

PUBLISHED WED, JAN 20 20215:05 AM EST UPDATED WED, JAN 20 20215:21 AM EST
Silvia Amaro
@SILVIA_AMARO

KEY POINTS

The U.S. and the EU have been at odds over several issues, from international trade to climate change, since President Trump arrived at the White House in January 2017.
However, the EU is hoping that a Biden administration will mean more cooperation going forward.
“This day brings good news: The United States is back,” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission said on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump departing from the White House.
President Donald J. Trump stops to talk to reporters as he walks to board Marine One and depart from the South Lawn at the White House.
The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images
LONDON — The European Union is cheering the arrival of President-elect Joe Biden after four fractious years under the leadership of Donald Trump.

Just hours before the president-elect takes an oath to serve as the 46th president of the United States, European officials were not afraid of expressing their happiness at Biden’s forthcoming inauguration and ambitions for the new administration.

“This day brings good news: The United States is back and Europe stands ready to reconnect with an old and trusted partner,” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission said on Wednesday.

“Joe Biden’s oath will be a message of healing for a deeply divided nation and it will be a message of hope to a world waiting for the U.S. to be back in the circle of like-minded states,” von der Leyen also said in Brussels, adding that “after four long years, Europe has a friend in the White House.”

The U.S. and the EU have been at odds over several issues, from international trade to climate change, since President Trump arrived at the White House in January 2017. The president’s combative style and unilateral actions were not welcomed by European officials, who were used to coordinating some policies with the United States.



However, the EU is hoping that a Biden administration will mean more cooperation going forward.

“It is more than a transition, it is an opportunity to rejuvenate the transatlantic relationship,” Charles Michel, European Council president, said on Wednesday.

The European Union announced in December a plan on how to improve the transatlantic relationship. This is focused on four major policy areas: health response, climate change, trade and tech, and security.

But European officials are also aware that when it comes to digital taxation, for instance, it might be hard to reach an agreement overnight.

President- elect Joe Biden.

The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images
“We have our differences and they will not magically disappear,” Michel also said at the European Parliament.

Earlier this week, European finance ministers discussed with the former economic advisor to the Obama administration, Larry Summers, the future of the transatlantic relationship.

According to one EU official, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the talks, Summers said this will be the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall that there will be such a close relationship between the U.S. and the EU.

However, Summers also tried to manage expectations, suggesting that it may take a bit longer than expected for the new administration to settle in and appoint all the necessary officials it needs.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/20/biden-inauguration-day-europe-cherishes-trumps-departure-.html?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=Main&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1611137189

____________________________
Ursula von der Leyen
@vonderleyen
·

I am delighted that on day one of this new administration, the US will rejoin the #ParisAgreement.

This is the starting point for our renewed cooperation.

And way more is to come.
President of the
@EU_Commission
. Mother of seven. Brussels-born. European by hear

armyofone:
Wished he really shined the light like that lamp in the painting. But instead kerosene no dey the lamp, light went out and the boat people not see road and you know the rest (when boat people no see road)

He is not Christopher Columbus.

I'm glad he leaves office tagged as a grifter... a big time yahoo- 419er.

i go miss this thread!

Conservative artist's painting puts a Trump twist on iconic image and ignites Twitter
A conservative artist painted Trump and his administration 'crossing the swamp.'
By Karolina Rivas
August 1, 2018

I don't know who gets the biggest embarrassment/dullness award for today, sahara reporters or whomever placed this nonsense on the fp of nl?

This action and executive decision is beyond due! I can't wait to see what happens after the 7-day grace period is complete. Strong force will be needed next week.

Courtesy of CTV.

Akeredolu Orders Herdsmen To Vacate Ondo Forest Reserves, Bans Night-Grazing

Channels Television
Updated January 18, 2021

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Monday ordered herdsmen to vacate all forest reserves in the state within the next seven days.

The Governor, who made the proclamation via Twitter, said the order had become imperative due to the increasing incidents of kidnap cases in the state.

“These unfortunate incidents are traceable to the activities of some bad elements masquerading as herdsmen,” Akeredolu said. “These felons have turned our forest reserves into hideouts for keeping victims of kidnapping, negotiating for ransom, and carrying out other criminal activities.”

READ ALSO: Navy Arrests 24 Illegal Oil Bunkers In Ondo

The Governor also banned night-grazing with immediate effect “because most farm destruction takes place at night.”

“Movement of cattle within cities and highways is prohibited,” he added. “Under-aged grazing of cattle is outlawed.

“Our resolution to guarantee safety of lives and property within the State shall remain utmost as security agencies have been directed to enforce the ban.”

The Governor noted that his administration “will give a grace period of seven days for those who wish to carry on with their cattle-rearing business to register with appropriate authorities.”

In November, bandits shots a prominent traditional ruler, the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Israel Adeusi.

Later that month, unidentified gunmen abducted the wife of the Chief of Staff to Governor Akeredolu.

Earlier in January, gunmen abducted a couple and two others in Uso community, in Owo Local Government Area of the state.

Days later, gunmen kidnapped a traveller along Ise/Isua – Akoko Road.

https://www.channelstv.com/2021/01/18/akeredolu-orders-herdsmen-to-vacate-ondo-forest-reserves/
______________________

File: Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu

hmmm.

"Names of Lagos
Lagos means "lakes" in Portuguese, the language of the first European immigrants known to visit the settlement, then already inhabited by the Awori and Bini and known to them as Oko.[1] From the first contacts with the region until the early 20th century, another Portuguese name for the city that was interchangeably used was Onim,[2] finally abandoned in favor of Lagos. Another theory is that Lagos was named after the city of the same name in Portugal which at the time was a major maritime hub for seafaring activity on the Atlantic Ocean. Although Lagos translates to "lakes" in Portuguese, it also means “Lagoon”, or a salt water body of water connected to the ocean by channels which flow depending on the tide. In the state of Rio de Janeiro, for instance, the Portuguese named the “Região dos Lagos” (Lakes Region) an area with lagoons very much similar to the Lagos Lagoon."

Launching the Portuguese Slave Trade in Africa

http://ldhi.library.cofc.edu/exhibits/show/african_laborers_for_a_new_emp/launching_the_portuguese_slave




Iberian Roots of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, 1440–1640
http://ap.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/origins-slavery/essays/iberian-roots-transatlantic-slave-trade-1440%E2%80%931640

The union of the Spanish and Portuguese crowns during the years 1580 to 1640 signaled the rise of a new era in the transatlantic slave trade. While the change may have been less noticeable in Brazilian ports such as Pernambuco, Salvador da Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro, after 1580 the Spanish Americas were directly connected to Portuguese-controlled slaving hubs in Atlantic Africa for the first time, resulting in unprecedented growth in the scale and volume of slave traffic to Spain’s American colonies. Another factor contributing to an increase in the slave trade’s volume during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries was the rise of Luanda, capital of the Portuguese colony of Angola. Within just a few decades of its founding in 1575, Luanda and its hinterlands became increasingly important within the overall slave trade, exporting thousands upon thousands of West Central Africans to the Americas.

The years from 1595 to 1640 are perhaps best known as the period of the “Portuguese asientos.” Several powerful Portuguese men, including at one point the governor of Angola, signed a series of asientos or contracts with the Spanish Crown stipulating that certain numbers of Africans would be supplied to the Americas during certain years. For example, Pedro Gomez Reinel agreed to be responsible for arranging the transportation of 4,250 enslaved Africans to the Spanish Americas every year for a period of six years, beginning in 1595.

Estimates of the total volume of the transatlantic slave trade during this forty-five-year-period range from 200,000 to 300,000 enslaved Africans landed in the Spanish Americas. The differences in estimates proposed thus far may largely be explained by uncertainties regarding the frequency of contraband slave trading that, by all accounts, was endemic and widespread. In order to evade customs taxes, slave ship crews frequently concealed captives, or disembarked extra captives in secondary ports. Other voyages were completely unregistered; we know of their existence only because Spanish American officials apprehended some slave ships’ crew members, who typically claimed to have been “blown off course” while bound for some other destination, or “pursued by enemies” and “forced to land.”