History of Oceania

What was the triangle of trade?

The triangular trade or transatlantic trade was a trade network that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas from the 15th to the 19th centuries. European powers established colonies in the Americas, and these colonies were largely dependent on the resources of Africa and Europe.

* From Africa to the Americas:

Europeans shipped manufactured goods, alcohol, and weapons to Africa, where they were traded for enslaved people. These people were then transported to the Americas, where they were sold as laborers on sugar plantations, tobacco farms, and other agricultural endeavors.

* From the Americas to Europe:

The enslaved Africans produced cash crops such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton that were shipped to Europe. These goods were then sold in Europe, where they were used to create manufactured goods that were sent to Africa and the Americas, thus completing the triangle.

The trade network had a devastating impact on Africa, as millions of people were enslaved and transported across the Atlantic Ocean. The economies of the European colonies in the Americas were largely dependent on the forced labor of enslaved Africans, and the profits from the trade helped to fuel the Industrial Revolution in Europe.