Summary
- In around 1500, European colonists in the Americas needed cheap labor
- In most African and Muslim societies, slaves had some legal rights and an opportunity for social mobility, Slaves could escape their bondage
- Portuguese went to Africa for gold trade, then saw advantages in using Africans in the America
- The buying and selling of Africans for work in the Americas became a massive enterprise
- Between 300,000 Africans were transported between 1500-1600
- Between 1500-1600 about 1.3 million were transported
- By the time the slave trade was over Europeans had imported about 9.5 million Africans
- It was the leading carrier of enslaved slaves
- African slaves were also brought to what is now the USA nearly 400,000 Africans were sold to the North Americans colonies