The Transatlantic Slave Trade was a brutal and dehumanizing system that forced millions of Africans into involuntary servitude in the Americas. Beginning in the 16th century, European slave traders captured and transported African men, women, and children across the Atlantic Ocean to be sold as slaves on plantations, farms, and in urban areas. The Transatlantic Slave Trade was one of the largest forced migrations in history and had a profound impact on both Africa and the Americas.