A trade route in the Atlantic World between Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Notably, there wasn’t just one “triangle” but multiple exchanges of good and people throughout the region. Slavery was a key part of the triangle trade: slaves were kidnapped in Africa and sold in the Americas for money. Once in the Americas, enslaved people were forced to grow and harvest crops such as sugar, rice, cotton, spices, salt, and hardwoods. These goods were transported to other ports where more people (often slaves) made them into products like rum, cloth, chocolate, and furniture. These manufactured goods were then sold and the money gained was used to send more ships to capture slaves. Most abolitionists recognized that all people who made money from creating, shipping, selling, or consuming these goods helped perpetuate slavery.
