Uprooted from the Motherland
Slaves began to be transported to the Americas in the late 1500s but as the demand for labor grew in the Americas, slave began to be transported at a much faster rate than expected. An example of this exponential growth is the fact that Britain was was importing 2.5 million slaves by the 1700s. Slaves, yes people, were traded for raw goods as well as manufactured goods through the Triangular Trade system. Slaves were originally obtained from the West African coast through middlemen. The journey to the Americas endured by many Africans is The Middle Passage. The conditions were terrible; many died before the passage could be completed. The continent of Africa was adversely affected. 10 to 12 million Africans were transported to the Americas. War became very common. They became economically dependent on Europe.