Many Irish people were transported to America and sold as slaves after the battle of Kinsale in the early C17.
James the second encouraged the transportation of Irish rebells.
A Proclamation of 1625 decreed that Irish political prisoners be transported overseas and sold as labourers to English planters,in the West Indies. This established a policy that was to continue for two hundred years. In 1629 a large group of Irish men and women were sent to Guiana. By 1632, the Irish were the main slaves sold to Antigua and Montserrat in the West Indies. A census in 1637showed that 69% of the total population of Montserrat were Irish slaves. Supply did meet the demands of the English Planters and a type of 'slaver press gang' went around Ireland kidnapping enough suitable people to fill the required quotas for the plantations.
During the Cromwellian period the situation deteriorated for the Irish.In the mid-1650's over 52,000 Irish people were sold as slaves to Barbados and Virginia.
James the second encouraged the transportation of Irish rebells.
A Proclamation of 1625 decreed that Irish political prisoners be transported overseas and sold as labourers to English planters,in the West Indies. This established a policy that was to continue for two hundred years. In 1629 a large group of Irish men and women were sent to Guiana. By 1632, the Irish were the main slaves sold to Antigua and Montserrat in the West Indies. A census in 1637showed that 69% of the total population of Montserrat were Irish slaves. Supply did meet the demands of the English Planters and a type of 'slaver press gang' went around Ireland kidnapping enough suitable people to fill the required quotas for the plantations.
During the Cromwellian period the situation deteriorated for the Irish.In the mid-1650's over 52,000 Irish people were sold as slaves to Barbados and Virginia.
