The document summarizes the Atlantic slave trade between Africa, Europe, and the Americas from the 16th to 19th centuries. Millions of Africans were captured and sold into slavery, suffering violence and death, to provide forced labor for the colonies. A triangular trade route developed to transport slaves from Africa to the Americas in exchange for goods. This led to the establishment of plantation economies in the Americas and the development of a global economy supported by slave labor.

1. ATLANTIC HISTORY
ATLANTIC HISTORYThe Atlantic slave trade refers to the movement of Africans from their
place of origin to the New World. The activities involved in the trade included violent
capture, mass murder of the people in Africa and tortures. The transportation of slaves was
forceful therefore violence was used. The trade took place between the sixteenth and the
nineteenth centuries where African slaves got sold to European traders who then moved
them to the North and South American colonies (The Mariners Museum, 2002). Columbus’
discovery of the Americas is sometimes stated as the chief act that eventually led to the
trade in slaves.The enslavement of these Africans was very profitable and to an extent if not
for the slaves, the potential value of the Americas would have stayed unrealized. Because of
the slaves cities were constructed, mines excavated, wildernesses tamed and powerful
plantation economies established. A triangular economic route between Europe, Africa and
the Americas was formed whereby traders from the European ports took off for Africa’ s
west coast, traded humans for goods and sailed off to the Americas with the slaves (The
Mariners Museum, 2002).The Africans that had survived the journey from Africa to the
Americas were sold in the markets there hence commencing a life of slave labor. The ships
then sailed back to Europe carrying goods produced by the subsequent labor of the slaves. A
global economy was hence supplied through this triangular trade, European capital, African
man power, and American resources (Bailyn, 1967). The number of Africans forcibly
transported across the Atlantic is approximated to be more than ten million. Wars in Africa
were encouraged by the traders leading to deaths or enslavement of many more Africans
who were then shipped off to the Americas. An unimaginable number of Africans got killed
or abducted in that period.Discovery of the AmericasColumbus’ search for India
mistakenly brought him to America. This mistake started a new world of discovery and
European conquest which led to the devastation of the Native Americans and Africans. A
flood of explorers followed after Columbus’ first trip. Columbus found the simple life of the
Americas enviable but felt their world lifestyle was not appropriate. The Spanish and the
Portuguese were the explorers that set foot in America after Columbus and the Spanish
went ahead to colonize the Americas on the principle that pagans could be attacked because
of their lack of faith (Bailyn, 1967).European countries’ inclination was not to expand their
own empires but with time they joined the Portuguese and the Spanish in the Americas.
Bermuda, Antigua, Monster, Nevis and other islands were conquered by the English in that
order. The French had Guadeloupe and Martinique by the year 1625. Other empires that
joined in the rush to the Americas included Swedes, the Dutch and Danes. The Americas

2. were an isolated group of people who had managed to stay separate from the people of the
Old World. Because of these, they were not accustomed to the diseases and germs of the old
world and contracted a lot of diseases when they made contact with the Old World. Their
native population got reduced by approximately ninety percent in almost half of a century.
The natives got converted from pagans to Christians while their empires got undone
gradually in time. The Aztecs, for instance, regarded Herman Cortes as a god that had
returned from exile claiming his ancient lands when he landed in America to conquer
Mexico.The Native PopulationThe Americas population in the pre-Columbus time was made
up of several groups. The Pueblo were a group that occupied what are now Northern Mexico
and the Southwestern United States. Large stone apartments similar to the adobe structures
characterized their living conditions. Chichimeca was another group in the North of today’ s
Mexico with semi-nomadic peoples. They were hunters and gatherers and lived in very
barbaric conditions. The Maya is another group that lived in the Americas at the time
Columbus stumbled upon the empire.The end of the 10th century saw the beginning of the
extinction of the Maya due to the changing climate conditions (Elliot, 2007). The Americas
was also inhabited by the Toltecs. The Aztec was a group living in Mesoamerica and its
surrounding lands that experienced an end to their civilization once the Spanish colonized
them. Their capital city was Tenochtitlan and was considered the largest cities known in
time. South America was inhabited by the Chavin and Inca. The Chavin were an innovative
people who traded a lot and developed agriculture very early in time compared to the other
peoples of the Americas.The Inca lived in the Andes region with their capital city being the
great city of Cusco (Elliot, 2007). Their culture was very distinct and highly developed. They
built cities with precision, unmatched stonework and over a couple of levels of mountain
terrain. They utilized terrace farming in their agricultural practices. Evidence indicating the
presence of excellent metal work and even brain surgery has been found regarding the Inca
civilization.Countries involved in the development of the AmericaAfrica, Europe and
America were the three major countries that led to the development of present day
America. Portugal and Spain played a very big role in this process too. The Europeans’
search for a sea route to the East led them to explore westward. This exploration took place
in the late 15th century and led them to the Americas (Abulafia, 2008). The Europeans and
the Spaniards both saw the numerous opportunities of wealth offered by the Americas.
South and Central America were targeted by the Spaniards and the Portuguese for their
abundant Gold and silver.The Portuguese introduced sugar plantations in Brazil by the
1570s (Abulafia, 2008). Demand for sugar in Europe continued to grow leading to the
introduction of sugar plantations in the islands of the West Indies. A large number of the
Americas died from the diseases that came with the Europeans and the few remaining were
either massacred or enslaved by the colonists. The high demand for labor could not be met
by these few remaining people therefore other sources were sought. The Portuguese and
Spaniards had previously used enslaved Africans to as labor force in the sugar plantations
in islands off the African west coast.The rich lands of the Americas prompted the transfer of
the enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean for labor. The British, French and Dutch
followed the Portuguese and Spaniards’ example in their sugar plantations leading to a
surge in the demand for African slaves (Elliot, 2007). The three continents interacted in this

3. trade to eventually lead to present day America. The Americans liberated themselves from
the British rule in the revolution. After the abolition of the trade in slaves, the Africans
transported across the Atlantic Ocean remained in America accounting for the black
population there. The Americas and the Europeans related sexually and gave birth to the
present day American people.The colonies in the Atlantic trade and different crops
grownThe six major colonies in the Atlantic slave trade were the English, Portuguese,
French, Spanish, Danish and the Dutch. These empires operated behind trade barriers
producing different plantation produce such as rice, coffee, alcohol and sugar. Some
precious metal such as Gold and silver were also included as trade goods. Sugar proved
most valuable in the trade therefore was adopted by all the empires in time. The Portuguese
and British slave traders were the most dominant therefore British Americas and Brazil
received the most Africans (Elliot, 2007).The Spanish throne got an opportunity for trade
and wealth after Columbus’ Caribbean islands’ exploits. The Spanish society then loved to
conquer and contended frequently with other empires. The society practiced the culture of
expansion. The crown of Castile was a strategic region that Columbus considered
appropriate in establishing trading posts where Spaniards would work facilitating
transactions with the natives. The Spanish society desired the land of America and went
ahead to attack them with the idea that pagans could be attacked based on their lack of
faith. In 1493, a large shipment from Spain travelled to Hispaniola, which is currently the
country of Dominican Republic and Haiti. After settling, Santa Domingo was chosen as the
capital of the land. The Spaniard, through the encomienda system, exploited the Indians for
labor. Gold mining was the initial activity they engaged in followed by the growth of sugar.
The Spanish then expanded to the north and south and with their superior metal weapons
conquered the Incas and the Aztecs.The Spanish possessions were threatened by the French
on the new world. Serious interest in the new world had been prevented by separatist
organizations in Holland in the early 17th century (Meltzer, 1993). However, France
focused on Florida and attacked it. Soon after, the French pirates began intercepting
Spanish ships that entered and exited the Caribbean.Cyprus and Sicily had adopted complex
sugar cultivation before the Portuguese started exploring the coast of Africa. After the
Italians took control of the sugar trade, they took the techniques of production,
management and trade to the Atlantic islands and later to the Americas. The Portuguese
then obtained funding from the Italians and began the production of sugar. The first
settlement that the Portuguese established in America was in Sao Vincent in the 1530s.
Interest in Brazil arose from the trade in trees between the Brazilians and the French and
also the trade in different commodities with the Spanish. This spurred interest in the
Portuguese of dominating the region (Solow, 1991).The British, Dutch and Danish followed
suit in colonizing parts of North and South America. The Americas, though, were not good as
slaves due to their lack of immunity to diseases of the New World. The British initially
focused on trade and exploitation but with the growing need for slaves and the potential
economic opportunities found in America, they decided to colonize them.The start of the
trade and the interactions of the different culturesThe origin of the Atlantic slave trade
arose mostly from the deficiency in labor force in the new world. The plans for development
could not be sufficiently supported by the contemporary European population that was in

4. the Americas. Even criminals sentenced to labor could escape and blend in with the white
masses well enough. Native Americans also proved insufficient due to their small number
and their lack of immunity to diseases in the New World such as small pox. The Native
Americans could also escape without much effort since they knew the land well, they could
adjust to the lifestyles required in the adjacent territories and their homes were not too
far.The expansion of sugar production, mining and trade in other commodities increased
the need for labor and Africa presented the solution for cheap and abundant labor. The
Africans were preferred as slaves due to their immunity to the diseases of the new world.
They were also unfamiliar with the territories of the new world hence could not easily
escape. Their skin color was also different from the Europeans and the Native Americans
therefore they could not blend in with the population after escape. They were also skilled in
the disciplines they were used for such as sugar cane growing and mining.The Portuguese
were the first to ship African slaves off to America in order for them to work in the sugar
plantations and mines in Brazil (Anstey, 1975). The Dutch then became the dominant
suppliers of slaves to the colonies after they conquered South America. Britain went on to
become a strong colony due to its superior naval power hence controlling more trade routes
(Caryl, 2001). By the end of the 17th century it was clear that Britain dominated the slave
trade. The trade thrived in Britain with towns such as Birmingham, Liverpool and London
profiting from it.The interactions between the Portuguese and the Africans were in terms of
business and also as slave owners. Their traded in goods and slaves through African brokers
on the coast and then sailed off without venturing into the interior. The depopulation that
resulted in the diminishing of the slave trade caused inter-tribal fights since the Portuguese
opted for slaves from other tribes. This weakened the Africans and strengthened the
Europeans therefore facilitating the use of force in obtaining slaves. Since Africans along the
west coast mostly dealt with sugar plantations, they provided skilled labor which was
needed in the sugar industry in America (Davis, 1973).The Abolition of the Slave tradeThe
process taken before the abolition of trade in slaves was a long one requiring change in
economies. At the time, the major European countries were shifting their attention from the
agricultural sector to the industrial sector. This might be stated as a reason leading to the
abolition combined with the fact that slave population was growing therefore threatening
the control of the Europeans over them (Northrup, 1994). British scholars however, prefer
to attribute the abolition to the virtue of the Europeans and others consider that the 19th
century was a time that colonies became less profitable and less important therefore
eliminating the need for trade in slaves anymore. The British and the United States
governments declared the trade illegal in 1807. A network of treaties established by the
British required slave ships to be detained by their naval vessels. The traffic in slave trade
gradually declined in the 19th century until eventually all colonies abolished it completely
(Anstey, 1975).The American RevolutionIn the last half of the 18th century, thirteen North
American colonies joined together and fought to break free from the British Empire. The
first opposition came when the colonies rejected to be governed overseas absent of
representation (Bailyn, 1967). Provincial Congresses were established in each colony
governing them and by 1774 all colonies had one although still within the empire. The
American revolutionary war ensued when the British sent combat troops attempting to re-

5. introduce direct rule. The British monarchy was found to have engaged in acts of tyranny
therefore the states considered the British to not have the legitimacy in claiming allegiance.
Ties between British and the United States were severed in 1776 and the declaration of
independence was issued to the United States by the congress. 1781 saw the end of the war
followed by a formal abandonment of claims to the United States by the British in 1783
(Bailyn, 1967).ConclusionThe discovery of the Americas by Columbus opened a door to a lot
of activities and opportunities. The Spanish chose to attack the Americas and benefit from
their rich lands. The Portuguese, French, Dutch, Danish and the English followed suit once
they saw the numerous profit opportunities in the nation.The need for labor after the
introduction of the sugar production led to the slave trade which first started with the
slavery of the Americas. They, however, proved unsuitable as slaves due to their few
number and lack of immunity to diseases from the New World. The Africans were then used
as slaves and got shipped across the Atlantic to the land of America. Eventually in the 19th
century the slave trade was abolished. The American Revolution marked the independence
of the United States from the British rule. Americans rejected being governed from overseas
yet they had no representation which eventually led to the revolutionary war and finally
independence.References:Abulafia, D. (2008). The Discovery of Mankind: Atlantic
Encounters in the Ages of Columbus. New Haven: Yale University Press.Anstey, R. (1975).
The Atlantic Slave Trade and British Abolition, 1760– 1810. London: Macmillan.Bailyn, B.
(1967). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Massachusetts: Harvard
University Press,Caryl, P. (2001). The Atlantic Sound. New York: Vintage
International.Davis, R. (1973). The Rise of the Atlantic Economies. New York: Cornell
University Press.Elliot, J. H. (2007). Empires of the Atlantic World: Britain and Spain in
America 1492-1830. London: Yale University Press.Meltzer, M. (1993). Slavery: A World
History. New York: Da Capo Press.Northrup, D. (1994). The Atlantic Slave Trade. Lexington,
Mass: D.C. Health.Solow, B. (ed.). (1991). Slavery and the Rise of the Atlantic System.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.The Mariners Museum. (2002). Captive Passage:
The Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Making of the Americas. Washington: Smithsonian
Books.