Where did the slave trade occur?

The Transatlantic Slave Trade, which transported enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean, predominantly took place between the 16th and 19th centuries. It encompassed three primary regions: Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Here is an overview of the locations involved:

Africa:

Enslaved individuals were primarily captured in West Africa and West-Central Africa. Major regions included Senegambia, Upper Guinea (present-day Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and parts of Guinea-Bissau), the Windward Coast (present-day Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin), the Bight of Benin (present-day Nigeria and Cameroon), the Bight of Biafra (present-day Nigeria and Cameroon), and West-Central Africa (present-day Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Europe:

Major European powers involved in the slave trade were Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, France, England, and Denmark. They established forts, trading posts, and colonies along the African coast, where they purchased enslaved individuals from African traders and rulers.

Americas:

Enslaved Africans were transported to various parts of the Americas. The primary destinations included the Caribbean (islands such as Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Cuba), Brazil, and the southern colonies of North America (later becoming the United States). These areas had a high demand for labor on plantations, mines, and other industries.

The specific locations within Africa, Europe, and the Americas involved in the slave trade were numerous and varied over time. Significant ports and trading centers included Elmina Castle (Ghana), São Jorge da Mina (Ghana), Luanda (Angola), Liverpool (England), Nantes (France), Lisbon (Portugal), Seville (Spain), and Charleston (South Carolina).