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Atlantic Slave Trade

Definition

The Atlantic Slave Trade, also known as the Transatlantic Slave Trade, was a system of trading in which African people were captured and sold as slaves to European colonies in the Americas from the 15th to 19th centuries.

Analogy

Think of it like a horrific conveyor belt. On one end, you have West and Central Africa where people are being forcibly taken. They're then transported across the Atlantic Ocean (the moving conveyor belt) and delivered to various destinations in the Americas (the other end), where they're forced into slavery.

Related terms

Transatlantic Slave Trade: This is another term for the Atlantic Slave Trade. It emphasizes on the fact that this trade system spanned across the Atlantic Ocean, connecting Africa with Europe and America.

Middle Passage: This refers to the journey enslaved Africans were forced to make across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to America. It was called 'middle' because it was considered as middle leg of triangular trade route used by Europeans.

Triangular Trade: This term describes how trade among three ports or regions worked during this period. Goods from Europe would be shipped to Africa in exchange for slaves; these slaves would then be transported via Middle Passage to America; finally, goods produced using slave labor (like sugar, tobacco etc.) would be sent back from America to Europe.