How long would it take for slave ship to cross from African to America?
Hi K. The slave trade took several triangular routes. Over one route, ships from Europe transported manufactured goods to the west coast of Africa. There, traders exchanged the goods for slaves. Next, the slaves were carried across the Atlantic Ocean to the West Indies and sold for huge profits. This part of the route was called the Middle Passage. The traders used much of their earnings to buy sugar, coffee, and tobacco in the West Indies. The ships then took these products to Europe. On another triangular route, ships from the New England Colonies carried rum and other products to Africa, where they were exchanged for slaves. The ships then transported the slaves to the West Indies to be sold. The slave traders used some of their profits to buy sugar and molasses, which they took back to New England and sold to rum producers. The Atlantic slave trade operated from the 1500’s to the mid-1800’s. The slave trade was conducted for profit. The captains of slave ships therefore tried to de
