A fr ican ▁n atives , ▁such ▁as ▁Se ed ies ▁and ▁K ro omen , ▁served ▁on ▁European ▁ships , ▁and ▁received ▁regular ▁pay , ▁which ▁greatly ▁en hanced ▁their ▁status ▁back ▁home . ▁ ▁Atlantic ▁slave ▁trade ▁ ▁Clear ly , ▁the ▁slave ▁trade ▁en rich ed ▁the ▁segments ▁of ▁African ▁society ▁that ▁trad ed ▁in ▁slaves . ▁However , ▁the ▁modern ▁histor i ography ▁of ▁sla very ▁has ▁sw ung ▁between ▁two ▁pol es ▁on ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁its ▁dem ographic ▁and ▁economic ▁effects ▁on ▁Africa ▁as ▁a ▁whole . ▁Early ▁historical ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁slave ▁trade ▁were ▁largely ▁written ▁for ▁a ▁popular ▁audience ▁by ▁abol ition ists ▁and ▁former ▁slaves ▁like ▁O la ud ah ▁Equ iano ▁who ▁emphas ized ▁its ▁prof ound ly ▁negative ▁effects ▁on ▁African ▁pe op les . ▁As ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁progress ed , ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁negative ▁impact ▁of ▁sla very ▁were ▁increasing ly ▁used ▁to ▁argue ▁for ▁European ▁colon ization ▁of ▁the ▁continent . ▁Con vers ely , ▁there ▁were ▁those , ▁like ▁the ▁British ▁expl orer ▁and ▁ge ograph er ▁William ▁Win wood ▁Re ade , ▁who ▁drew ▁on ▁the ▁accounts ▁of ▁slave ▁trad ers ▁to ▁argue ▁that ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁sla very ▁were ▁positive . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁the ▁view ▁of ▁sla very ▁as ▁a ▁negative ▁influence ▁on ▁Africa ▁pre va iled ▁among ▁professional ▁academic ▁histor ians ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁During ▁the ▁de colon ization