Title: The transatlantic slave trade: introduction
Headings: The transatlantic slave trade: introduction
The transatlantic slave trade: introduction
The trade
Geographical spread
The Triangular Trade
Unequal relationship
Diaspora
Racism
Protests and resistance
The end of the slave trade
France
Netherlands
Spain
Portugal

Content: Some Africans were transported to Europe and lived in such countries as Portugal and France as well as in England. The Triangular Trade
The transatlantic slave trade is sometimes known as the 'Triangular Trade', since it was three-sided, involving voyages: from Europe to Africa
from Africa to the Americas
from the Americas back to Europe. It's generally seen as a 'trade' since it revolved around transactions, or a form of exchange, between the African sellers and the European buyers of captives. Indeed, it would have been impossible for European slave traders to venture into Africa and procure African captives without some African involvement – African kingdoms and societies were too strong and well organised. Even when Europeans built forts on the coast of West Africa, this was on land given, or rented, from Africans for this purpose. Unequal relationship
However, African kings and merchants were engaged in an unequal trade, since African societies gained little of permanent value, certainly nothing that led to significant economic development. Europeans, on the other hand, generally exported manufactured items such as alcohol, textiles and guns to Africa to be exchanged for African captives. The production of such items, as well as the construction of ships, shackles and other items connected with the slave trade, certainly contributed to the development of manufacturing in Europe. The African labour purchased with manufactured goods was then used in the Americas to produce luxury items and other things that were valuable and in great demand in Europe, such as sugar, tobacco and cotton.