what was the transatlantic slave trade

The transatlantic slave trade was the forced enslavement and transportation of millions of African men, women, and children across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th century. Approximately 12 to 15 million Africans were kidnapped, transported in harsh conditions known as the Middle Passage, and sold into slavery to provide labor primarily on plantations producing goods such as tobacco, sugar, cotton, and indigo. The trade involved European powers exchanging manufactured goods for enslaved Africans, who were often captured or bought from African traders and rulers. This brutal system caused immense suffering and millions of deaths during the voyages and had lasting social, economic, and cultural impacts worldwide, including the African Diaspora and racial inequalities in the Americas.