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Atlantic Slave Trade

Definition

The Atlantic Slave Trade was a system where African people were captured, transported across the Atlantic Ocean, and sold as slaves in the Americas from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Analogy

Think of it like a horrific conveyor belt. Raw materials like sugar, tobacco, and cotton were sent from America to Europe. In Europe, these goods were turned into finished products and shipped to Africa. In Africa, these goods were traded for enslaved people who were then shipped back to America. This cycle continued for centuries.

Related terms

Middle Passage: This refers to the part of the trade where Africans, densely packed onto ships, were transported across the Atlantic to the West Indies.

Plantation System: A form of agricultural mass production typically associated with large-scale slave labor. Key crops produced on plantations included tobacco, sugar cane and cotton.

Colonialism: The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.