Chapter 15 pt 2. (449-458)

Trade was a huge factor in the progress of the world from the 15th century to the 19th century. It came with many problem aswell as profits. Millions of people died.Not only death but also kidnapping from homes, forced labor, beatings, and even brandings occured. This event brought the strong african pressence to America that we have today. This was due to the size of the slave trafficking. Mediterranean plantations contained slave laborers known as "Slavs" but as the sugar and cotton plantations began to florish in the Americas portugues explorers soon went to Africa in search of gold but they found instead a sorce of slaves available. Through this Africans soon became the main sorce of slaves in the Americas. They were the most successful because they were permanent, expected cheaper wages and skilled laborers.Africans then became very capable of defending themselves against Europeans because Europeans were so succeptable to tropical diseases and did not know the terrain. There for the way Europeans to come by slaves then had to be through political agreements or through african merchants. The way the slave trade developed and changed throughout history is shameful to look back on. Although it helped us become the country we are today it was still inhuman and and showed a lack of moral fiber.