The Atlantic Slave Trade
Millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas.
About this topic
Between about 1500 and 1866, European traders forcibly carried roughly 12 million Africans across the Atlantic, with about 10.5 million surviving the voyage, to work on plantations of sugar, tobacco, cotton and coffee and in mines in the Americas. Portugal, Spain, Britain, France, the Netherlands and later the United States took part. Some African states and merchants also sold captives, though Europeans created the demand.
The trade formed a triangle: manufactured goods and guns travelled from Europe to Africa, enslaved people went on the Middle Passage to the Americas, and sugar, cotton and tobacco returned to Europe. Ships were so crowded and unsanitary that perhaps one in six died at sea. Enslaved people were treated as property, worked in harsh conditions, and resisted through revolts, escape and preserving culture, as in maroon communities.
Effects included the depopulation and disruption of parts of Africa, and wealth for European and American economies and cities such as Liverpool. Its racist ideas outlasted slavery, and its legacy appears in inequality and in African-influenced music, food and religion across the Americas. Misconception: slavery was not just a Southern United States matter; most captives went to Brazil and the Caribbean. Britain banned the trade in 1807, and the US in 1808.
Key ideas
- Triangular trade
- Middle Passage
- Abolished in the 1800s
Quick check
Use cases: where The Atlantic Slave Trade helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind The Atlantic Slave Trade before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall The Atlantic Slave Trade without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how The Atlantic Slave Trade changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain The Atlantic Slave Trade in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Studying the past helps explain today’s politics, borders, cultures and institutions.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Atlantic Slave Trade?
Millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas.
What will I learn in The Atlantic Slave Trade?
Triangular trade. Middle Passage. Abolished in the 1800s.
Is The Atlantic Slave Trade part of World History?
Yes. It is one of 80 World History topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the The Atlantic Slave Trade lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study The Atlantic Slave Trade?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
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