History of South America

Why did the want slaves?

The Atlantic slave trade was the transatlantic transportation and sale of enslaved Africans. It was practiced by European slave traders and African kingdoms from the 16th to the 19th century. The main reasons for the demand for slaves were economic and related to the need for labor in the Americas. Sugar, tobacco, and cotton plantations required a large workforce, and enslaved Africans were seen as a cheap and plentiful source of labor. Additionally, the slave trade provided a source of wealth and power for those involved in the trade.