History of Oceania

What was Triangular-trade?

Triangular trade was a trade route among three different regions of the world. It typically referred to the trade of goods among Europe, Africa, and the Americas during the 16th to 19th centuries. Here is a simplified representation of the Triangular Trade:

1. Europe to Africa: European merchants would sail to Africa carrying manufactured goods such as metal tools, guns, textiles, and alcohol.

2. Africa to the Americas: The European merchants would trade these goods with African merchants in exchange for enslaved people. The enslaved people were forced onto ships and transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. This phase of the route became known as the Middle Passage.

3. Americas to Europe: In the Americas, the enslaved people were sold to plantation owners, where they were forced to work in agriculture, mining, and other industries. The plantation owners would produce raw materials like sugar, cotton, tobacco, and coffee. These products were then loaded onto ships and transported to Europe.

4. Europe to Africa: The European merchants would return to Africa carrying the goods produced in the Americas. They would trade these goods for more enslaved people, thus completing the triangular trade cycle.

Each leg of the Triangular Trade involved different goods and commodities, and it played a significant role in the global economy and the rise of colonialism during that period. However, it also represented one of the darkest chapters in human history due to the immense suffering and exploitation of enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade.