Triumph Ufaruna

The Atlantic slave trade

The Atlantic slave trade, spanning from the late 15th to the mid-19th century and touching three continents, forcibly transported over 10 million Africans to the Americas. This historical atrocity left an indelible mark on those enslaved, their descendants, and the economic and cultural fabric of large parts of the world. It all began with Portuguese colonies in West Africa and the subsequent Spanish colonization of the Americas. The demand for labour to cultivate labour-intensive crops like sugar, tobacco, and cotton outstripped the supply of European settlers and indentured servants. Native Americans were initially enslaved but succumbed to new diseases, and others resisted, prompting the Europeans to turn to Africa.