▁the ▁African ▁slave ▁and ▁comm od ities ▁trade — there after ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 8 , ▁by ▁stat ute , ▁the ▁English ▁parliament ▁opened ▁the ▁trade ▁to ▁all ▁English ▁subjects . ▁ ▁The ▁slave ▁trade ▁to ▁the ▁mid - At l antic ▁colon ies ▁increased ▁substantial ly ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 8 0 s , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 7 1 0 ▁the ▁African ▁population ▁in ▁Virginia ▁had ▁increased ▁to ▁ 2 3 , 1 0 0 ▁( 4 2 % ▁of ▁total ); ▁Maryland ▁contained ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁Afr icans ▁( 2 3 % ▁of ▁total ). ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁England ▁passed ▁Spain ▁and ▁Portugal ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁world ' s ▁leading ▁slave - tr ader . ▁ ▁The ▁North ▁American ▁royal ▁colon ies ▁not ▁only ▁imported ▁Afr icans ▁but ▁also ▁captured ▁Native ▁Americans , ▁impress ing ▁them ▁into ▁sla very . ▁Many ▁Native ▁Americans ▁were ▁sh ipped ▁as ▁slaves ▁to ▁the ▁Car ib bean . ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁slaves ▁from ▁the ▁British ▁colon ies ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁escape ▁by ▁heading ▁south , ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish ▁col ony ▁of ▁Florida . ▁There ▁they ▁were ▁given ▁their ▁freedom ▁if ▁they ▁declared ▁their ▁alleg iance ▁to ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁Spain ▁and ▁accepted ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church . ▁In ▁ 1 7 3 9 ▁Fort ▁M ose ▁was ▁established ▁by ▁African ▁American ▁fre ed men ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁northern ▁defense ▁post ▁for ▁St . ▁August ine . ▁In ▁ 1 7 4 0