Triangular Trade
Definition
Triangular trade was a system during 16th-19th centuries where goods were traded among three regions: Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Typically, manufactured goods from Europe were sent to Africa in exchange for slaves, who were then sent to the Americas. The Americas would send raw materials back to Europe.
Analogy
Think of triangular trade as a group project where each member has a specific role. One person (Europe) provides the resources (manufactured goods), another (Africa) provides manpower (slaves), and the third one (Americas) gives feedback or results (raw materials).
Related terms
Middle Passage: The leg of the triangular trade where Africans were shipped to the New World as part of the Atlantic slave trade.
Mercantilism: An economic theory that trade generates wealth and is stimulated by accumulation of profitable balances.
Colonialism: The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
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