A triangle shaped trading route that consisted of The Colonies, Europe, Africa, and The Indies.

One result from the need of labor was the development of slavery. The triangular trade was the trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

-The first leg was the of trade was from Europe to Africa where goods were exchanged for slaves. -The second or middleleg of the trade was the transportation of slaves to the Americas. -The third leg of the trade was the transportation of goods from the Americas back to Europe.

16th century

Triangular trade or triangle trade is a historical term indicating trade among three ports or regions. Triangular trade usually evolves when a region has export commodities that are not required in the region from which its major imports come.

The colonists were major beneficiaries of the Triangular Trade. The colonists received African labor to work plantations in the Caribbean and in North America. The colonists also had a market for their raw materials in Europe, especially Britain.

The slave trade had devastating effects in Africa. Economic incentives for warlords and tribes to engage in the slave trade promoted an atmosphere of lawlessness and violence. Depopulation and a continuing fear of captivity made economic and agricultural development almost impossible throughout much of western Africa.

West African slavery Most slaves were sold to the Europeans by other Africans. Ashanti (modern day Ghana) traded their slaves in exchange for goods such as cloth, alcohol and guns. They then used their new resources to become more powerful and to fight wars against their neighbours in order to capture more slaves.

From its foundation, Jenne-jeno served as the focus of long-distance trade networks that linked gold and forest goods producers far to the south with those who brought the semiprecious stone and salt of the Sahara (and, eventually metal goods, beads, and books from North Africa).

The trade in gold helped Mali stay very wealthy. The main item they would import was salt which they would use it for many things. Salt was mainly used to preserve foods, like meat, but also corpses, etc. Malians would also need salt in their food, since they wouldn’t normally have much in their diet.

Following Mansa Musa’s death around 1337, the empire fell victim to declining influence around Africa. Other trade centers developed, hurting the commercial wealth that had once so freely surrounded Mali. Poor leadership set the kingdom on a path of civil wars.