West African slave traders primarily obtained slaves through a combination of warfare, raids, and the capture of individuals from rival tribes or communities. Some local leaders engaged in the slave trade as a means of economic gain, trading captives for goods such as firearms, textiles, and alcohol. Additionally, people could become enslaved as a result of debt or punishment for crimes. This system was facilitated by complex social and political structures within the region, allowing for a steady supply of captives to meet European demand.
They needed slaves to work on plantations
they captured them in war
buying them for African slave traders
From slave traders in central Africa.
European slave traders did not have to capture slaves in West Africa themselves because they established trade relationships with local African leaders and groups who conducted the capture and sale of slaves. These local intermediaries would often raid neighboring communities or conduct warfare to acquire captives, whom they sold to European traders in exchange for goods such as textiles, firearms, and alcohol. This system allowed European traders to profit from the slave trade without directly engaging in the violent and complex processes of capture and transportation.
From slave traders in central Africa.
They needed slaves to work on plantations
They were purchased by African Slave Traders
they captured them in war
buying them for African slave traders
They were purchased by African Slave Traders
European slave traders captured slaves in Africa during the transatlantic slave trade.
The slaves that West African slave traders sold to Europeans were usually captured in war.
The Africans sold were often criminals or convicted of a crime. They were traded for goods but often traded guns and firearms to these African kingdoms.
From slave traders in central Africa.
From slave traders in central Africa.
African slave traders obtained slaves through various means, including wars and raids on neighboring villages or tribes, kidnapping, and capturing individuals during conflicts. They also relied on domestic slave markets and trade networks managed by African middlemen to obtain slaves for sale to European and Arab traders.