A royal proclamation gives Royal African Company of England exclusive rights to sail from America to trade with Africa.  Addressed to John Leverett in his capacity as Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, the proclamation of 1674 forbids all others from carrying "Negro Servants, Gold, Elephants teeth, or any other goods and merchandise."

The Royal Africa Company was a royally chartered slaving company founded in 1672, based on the need for labor in Caribbean sugar plantations. It was granted a monopoly in the trade of slaves, gold, and ivory. Between 1680 and 1688, it transported approximately 5,000 slaves a year. The company lost its monopoly in 1698.