Mahogany : a historical geography of a lasting commodity of 18th-century enslavement

Walker, Gordon and Crawford, Bronte (2024) Mahogany : a historical geography of a lasting commodity of 18th-century enslavement. Geography, 109 (3). pp. 163-168. ISSN 0016-7487

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Abstract

It might be assumed that the commodities produced by enslaved labour in the British colonies in the 18th century were consumed long ago. Mahogany wood, however, endures and challenges this assumption. Slave labour was used to cut mahogany trees and prepare the timber for transporting to European and North American markets. When made into fine furniture and fittings this same mahogany has been admired and preserved through to the present day. We explore how mahogany was part of the geography of colonial trade and wealth-making by drawing on research focused on Lancaster in north-west England, the UK’s fourth largest slave trading port. We trace the extended geographies and lines of connection that were produced by the interlinked trades in enslaved African people and mahogany wood, and, through this focus on Lancaster, we provide an example of how colonialism shaped the economy and narrative of places in Britain. Contemporary responses within heritage settings and the implications for the continuing trade in antique mahogany furniture are also considered.