Abstract
This paper seeks to present an historical analysis of the 18th century kingdom of Kongo slave trade through the careful reading of missionary documentation as well as available slave trade data, in an attempt to understand the internal and external forces involved in the competition to control this market. Considering the context of rivalry between Portugal and Kongo and the British, Dutch, and French hegemony of the Congo coast slave trade, this work will question the relation between the religious missionary project and the Portuguese economic interests at stake. It will equally explore the Konogolese responses to these Portuguese attemps and their historical consequences.