When Britain Sent Its Convicts to America

American History Hit – Released July 7, 2025

In this compelling episode of American History Hit, hosts delve into a lesser-known facet of American colonial history: the transportation of British convicts to the American colonies. Hosted by Don Wildman and featuring expert insights from Dr. Anna Mackay of the University of Liverpool, the episode explores the origins, implementation, and eventual decline of this penal system and its profound impact on early American society and economy.

Introduction: The Transportation Act of 1718

The episode opens with a vivid portrayal of Margaret Wilson's trial at the Old Bailey in 1720, highlighting the harsh reality faced by petty criminals in England. Don Wildman sets the stage by explaining how the Transportation Act of 1718 formalized the practice of sending convicts to the American colonies as a solution to England’s overcrowded and disease-ridden prisons.

“It’s pretty unremarkable stuff. Petty theft, one of countless such offenses in a city swelled with desperate lives.” ([01:20])

Early Practices of Transportation

Dr. Anna Mackay provides historical context, tracing the roots of transportation back to 1615 under James I. Initially sporadic, the practice became more systematic during the Commonwealth period, primarily involving prisoners of war and rebels.

“From like 1615, as early as that, we have James I authorizes convicts being sent to the American colonies.” ([04:22])

Implementing the Transportation Act

The Transportation Act of 1718 marked a significant shift, institutionalizing the removal of convicts to the colonies. Don Wildman emphasizes the dire conditions of English prisons, likening them to workhouses filled with disease and overcrowded cells.

“It’s basically a form of forced migration. Prison systems during, say, the 17th and the 18th century, they’re really not built to house so many prisoners.” ([05:19])

Journey and Conditions Aboard Prison Ships

The discussion moves to the perilous voyages convicts endured. Dr. Mackay describes the role of merchants like Duncan Campbell, who profited by transporting convicts and selling them upon arrival in America.

“Convicts would be sold for about 10 to 15 pounds a head, and that’s the money that the merchants are pocketing.” ([09:03])

The ships were breeding grounds for diseases such as smallpox, tuberculosis, and typhus, leading to high mortality rates.

“They have tuberculosis, they have typhus, cholera, all these different kinds of diseases can really spread like wildfire in these cramped conditions.” ([12:45])

Life in the American Colonies

Once in America, the majority of convicts were sent to the Chesapeake region, primarily Virginia and Maryland, to work on tobacco plantations. Dr. Mackay highlights that:

“90% of convicts go there. And that’s actually because the merchants who are transporting them have a lot of contacts there.” ([14:01])

Convicts engaged in various forms of labor, from agricultural work to apprenticeships in trades. Unlike enslaved Africans, their servitude was for a fixed term, typically seven to fourteen years.

“Enslaved people were definitely more expensive. An enslaved person might have cost anything between 35 to 44 pounds, whereas a male convict is 10 pounds.” ([17:13])

Economic and Social Implications

The episode juxtaposes the transportation of convicts with the institution of slavery, noting the economic motivations behind both systems. Dr. Mackay explains that while convicts were a cheaper labor source, enslaved Africans remained the backbone of the plantation economy due to their perpetual servitude.

“Enslaved people were definitely more expensive... they’re being bought by the sort of middling class of planters, the people who are up and coming who can’t actually afford enslaved people.” ([17:35])

Furthermore, the coexistence of these systems led to societal tensions, particularly concerning race and class dynamics.

“There’s a sense that enslaved Africans would see white convict servants being treated as degraded members of a sort of social underclass. So when the British government tries to send convicts elsewhere..., a lot of Caribbean colonies actually reject them.” ([20:03])

Decline and Transition Post-American Revolution

The American Revolution marked the end of convict transportation to the American colonies. Don Wildman discusses how Britain struggled to find alternatives, ultimately leading to the establishment of penal colonies in Australia.

“They finally decide, a good few years later, 1786, they make the decision to send convicts to Botany Bay in Australia.” ([26:51])

In the interim, Britain resorted to using prison hulks—decommissioned ships repurposed as floating prisons—highlighting the persistent reliance on penal labor.

“They convert these ships that used to transport the prisoners to America into floating prisons.” ([27:14])

Legacy and Historical Oversight

The episode underscores how convict transportation to America has been overshadowed by the narrative of slavery. Dr. Mackay points out the scarcity of records on convicts who reintegrated into society, making their individual stories largely invisible.

“Unless someone does anything wrong, you can’t find them in the records, you can’t find them in prisons, you know, in the newspapers, things like that.” ([28:05])

Conclusion: A Complex Colonial Relationship

Closing reflections highlight the complexity of the colonial relationship between Britain and America, emphasizing that convict transportation was intertwined with broader economic and social developments that predated the American Revolution.

“These were really brutal ships coming over, typically many deaths along the way…” ([12:38])

As America celebrated its 250th anniversary, the episode reveals how much remains to be uncovered about these early dynamics, challenging the simplistic narratives often portrayed in mainstream history.

“It’s fascinating... how many new and interesting angles on this relationship are exposed.” ([30:46])

This episode of American History Hit sheds light on the intricate and often overlooked system of convict transportation to America, illustrating its significant yet understated role in shaping early American society and its economy. Through expert analysis and engaging storytelling, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the harsh realities faced by transported convicts and the broader implications of this practice within the British Empire.