The Wire

In the late 18th century the British couldn’t send their convicts off to America any more because America was importing slaves from Africa. So they decided to send undesirable criminals to Africa to work as guards for slave traders. It turned out to be a disaster and the short era more or less disappeared from history books and became Britain’s dirty secret. A far more successful plan was then hatched to send convicts to Australia. Historian Emma Christopher found out by chance about Africa’s brief time as a convict colony and she’s written a book about it – A Merciless Place.