Atlantic Triangular Trade
The Atlantic triangular trade was the system of shipping routes linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas in which manufactured goods went to Africa, enslaved Africans were carried to the Americas, and plantation goods such as sugar returned to Europe.
What happened and why it matters
The triangular trade is a stark reminder that the early Atlantic shipping system was built on forced labor, and that supply chains carry moral and legal responsibility, not just cost. The SlaveVoyages database estimates that about 12.5 million captives were embarked in Africa between 1501 and 1866, and about 10.7 million survived to land in the Americas. Historians note that direct voyages between the Americas and Africa were also common, so the triangle is a simplification. Modern forced labor import bans, such as those enforced by US customs, require importers to trace their suppliers, a direct legacy of this history.
Related events
Laws and regulations
Sources
- Transatlantic slave trade britannica.com
- A Brief Overview of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade legacy.slavevoyages.org
- Triangular trade en.wikipedia.org