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Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

Definition

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade refers to the forced migration of millions of African people across the Atlantic Ocean during the 15th to 19th centuries. They were captured in Africa and transported primarily to European colonies in North America, South America, and the Caribbean as slaves.

Analogy

Imagine being forcefully taken away from your home and transported thousands of miles away where you're treated as property instead of a human being. This is similar to how pieces are moved around on a chessboard by players who have control over them without considering their well-being or autonomy.

Related terms

Middle Passage: The middle leg of triangular trade routes where enslaved Africans were transported across the Atlantic Ocean under cruel conditions.

Abolitionism: A movement dedicated to ending slavery globally.

Plantations: Large agricultural estates usually found in tropical or subtropical regions where crops such as sugar cane or cotton are grown using slave labor.