Declaration of Independence | Follow The Money | 1
6/2/202640 min
What if the Boston Tea Party had less to do with liberty and more to do with a smuggler protecting his profit margins? What if hurricanes tearing through the Caribbean helped light the fuse of revolution? And, what if the men who gave birth to America were not visionary idealists but wealthy merchants who had simply run out of patience with British trade restrictions?
Peter and Afua pull back the curtain on the financial machinery behind American independence — the Caribbean slave economy, the smuggling networks, the Bengal famine, and the merchants who dressed their self-interest in the language of liberty.
0:00 It wasn't about democracy. It was about who controlled the money
2:00 Britain's debt doubles after the Seven Years' War — and someone has to pay for it
7:50 The colonists were richer, taller, and paid less tax than anyone in Britain
11:50 Tea, empire, and why the whole system was built on piracy
13:30 The Boston Tea Party: orderly political theatre and a £10,000 act of destruction
17:35 The Boston Massacre and the propaganda machine that turned it into a rallying cry
20:30 The Caribbean cash machine — and how hurricanes made colonial merchants very rich
27:20 John Hancock: celebrated patriot, and according to British customs officials, the head of a massive smuggling operation
30:00 The first Continental Congress: protecting constitutional rights — and profit margins
34:00 The Bengal famine, 10 million dead, and why it became a weapon against British imperialism
38:00 Neither side wanted war — and that's exactly how they stumbled into one
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Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas:
Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com
Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more.
legacy.supportingcast.fm
Stay connected with Legacy:
Instagram: @originallegacypodcast
TikTok: @legacy_productions
Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsPeter Frankopan· Host0:00
We think we know why America broke away from Britain. It's all about taxation without representation. It's a noble fight for liberty. It's about the birth of democracy.
Afua Hirsch· Host0:08
But the real story is considerably messier and considerably more concerned with profit.
Peter Frankopan· Host0:16
So today we're gonna look at the merchants, the smugglers, the hurricane chasers, the men who built their vast fortunes through the Caribbean slave economy and decided that British trade restrictions were bad for business.
Afua Hirsch· Host0:27
Men like John Hancock, the celebrated patriot, and according to British customs officials, the head of one of the largest smuggling operations in the colonies.
Peter Frankopan· Host0:37
And we're also going to touch on how famine that killed maybe ten million people in Bengal, as well as a series of hurricanes in the Caribbean, helped light the fuse of American independence.
Afua Hirsch· Host0:48
It turns out, Peter, surprise, surprise, that it wasn't just about revolutionary ideals and democracy. This was also in large part about who controlled the money.
Peter Frankopan· Host0:59
Hello, and welcome to a new episode of Legacy. I'm Peter Frankopan.
Afua Hirsch· Host1:04
I'm Afua Hirsch.
Peter Frankopan· Host1:06
And this is Legacy, the show that explores the lives, events, and ideas that have shaped our world and asks whether they have the reputations that they truly deserve.
Afua Hirsch· Host1:14
This is American Independence: Follow the Money.
Peter Frankopan· Host1:19
[upbeat music] Thanks for joining us on Legacy today. To support the show, sign up to Legacy Plus.
Afua Hirsch· Host1:27
You can enjoy early access,