Europe, Americas ... African slavery

The transatlantic slave trade forcibly transported approximately 12.5 million Africans across the Atlantic over four centuries, from the mid-15th to the 19th century. This brutal system resulted in the deaths of roughly 1.5 million people aboard ships during the perilous journey, a mortality rate of about 12.5 percent.

The 18th century marked the peak of this trade, with around 6 million Africans kidnapped and enslaved during that period alone. Portugal emerged as the most active nation, responsible for about 40 percent of the total, approximately 4.5 million people, largely to fuel its colonial enterprises in Brazil. Britain followed, accounting for around 2.5 million enslaved individuals, with other European powers like France, Spain, Denmark, and the Netherlands also participating.

Crucially, African tribal leaders were deeply involved in the kidnapping and sale of their own people. Europeans often relied on these chiefs, conducting transactions primarily in exchange for weapons, which bolstered tribal power against rivals. The Ashanti, Yoruba, Imbangala, and Nyamwezi tribes were among those most affected. The United States received a comparatively smaller number, between 300,000 and 500,000, unlike Brazil, which heavily depended on enslaved labor for its agricultural and mining sectors.

While Denmark was the first to abolish the transatlantic slave trade in 1792, Britain played a pivotal role in enforcing its cessation. In 1807, Britain banned the trade throughout its empire and utilized its powerful navy to intercept slave ships, freeing thousands. The U.S. followed suit in 1808, and Canada in 1833. Religious motivations, particularly from the evangelical movement in Britain, also contributed to the push for abolition.