1. Slave Raids and Captivity:
a. European traders collaborated with African chiefs or local middlemen to conduct raids and capture individuals for enslavement.
b. African rulers sometimes provided slaves as a form of payment or tribute to European traders in exchange for goods or weapons.
2. Trade and Barter:
a. European merchants offered various commodities, including firearms, alcohol, textiles, and metal goods, in exchange for enslaved individuals.
b. The exchange rate varied based on the demand and supply of slaves and the value of the goods offered by the Europeans.
3. Triangular Trade:
a. The transatlantic slave trade was part of a larger economic system known as the triangular trade.
b. European ships carrying manufactured goods sailed to Africa to trade with local rulers or merchants for enslaved individuals.
c. The enslaved individuals were then transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas, where they were sold to plantation owners or labor-intensive industries.
d. The ships then returned to Europe carrying raw materials such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton produced in the Americas.
4. Treaties and Agreements:
a. In some cases, European powers entered into treaties or agreements with African kingdoms to establish trade relations, including the exchange of enslaved individuals.
5. Kidnapping and Deception:
a. While some African rulers willingly participated in the slave trade, others resisted. However, European traders sometimes resorted to kidnapping and deception to obtain slaves when voluntary trade wasn't possible.
b. They might entice individuals to board their ships under false pretenses or forcibly seize them from coastal areas or villages.
6. Involvement of African Elites:
a. Some African elites collaborated with European traders and engaged in the slave trade for their own political and economic interests.
b. They may have seen it as a way to gain access to European goods or to consolidate their power by controlling trade and resources.
It is important to note that the European slave trade in Africa was a complex and multifaceted system involving various factors, including economic incentives, political dynamics, and the willingness of some African rulers to engage in the trade for their own benefit.