European kings, aristocrats and merchants acquired great power and wealth in the 17th and 18th centuries through the development of transatlantic trade and commerce that encompassed the continents of Europe, Africa, and North and South America. Accumulating wealth was a competitive business and those who benefited made lavish display of the profits of their endeavors. They commissioned the building of castles and expansive garden landscapes. They engaged artists who portrayed them in their finery. African servants were often displayed in court paintings in the company of their masters and mistresses. Most of the African servants in such paintings appear to be young, pre-adolescent children. It is estimated that some 0.2 to 0.3 million people were bought, sold and forcibly transported from the African continent to Europe between the 16th and 19th centuries.
The transatlantic trade was regulated by treaties, agreements, and constantly changing alliances. Like his European counterparts, the Elector of Brandenburg and his successor, the King of Brandenburg-Prussia, engaged in trade beyond the borders of their state. Works by the French painter Antoine Pesne and documents like Donations-Patent issued by the king show that Africans, referred to as Moors at that time, were among the court serving staff. Until recently, the question of African servants at the courts of Europe before the end of the 18th century has been the subject of only minimal scholarly attention. This paper will examine the factors which contributed to the presence of Africans at the court of Brandenburg as well as the involvement of the Brandenburgers in 17th and 18th century transatlantic trade and commerce.