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The transatlantic slave trade, also referred to as the Atlantic slave trade or the Euro-American slave trade, was a harrowing chapter in history characterized by the forced transportation of countless enslaved Africans, primarily to the Americas. Spanning from the 16th to the 19th century, this trade route exploited the infamous triangle trade and its perilous Middle Passage.

The bulk of those ensnared and transported in this trade were individuals hailing from Central and West Africa, who were traded to European slave merchants by fellow Africans from the region. While some were seized directly in coastal raids, Europeans often gathered and held captives at forts along the African coast before shipping them off to the Americas. Unlike the Portuguese, other European merchants refrained from direct involvement in these raids, as the harsh conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa posed significant health risks, with the average life expectancy for Europeans being less than a year, especially prior to the widespread availability of malaria treatment like quinine.

The economies of regions like the South Atlantic and Caribbean were heavily reliant on slave labor, particularly for the production of sugarcane and other commodities. This demand for labor was fueled by Western European governments vying for colonial dominance in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.