How was trade between Europe and Africa before the 1400s different from trade between those continents between the 1400s and t?

Answer 1

Before the 1400s, trade between Europe and Africa was primarily focused on goods like gold, ivory, and slaves, with established routes across the Mediterranean and the Sahara. This trade was largely conducted by intermediaries and was limited in scale. However, between the 1400s and the 1800s, the rise of European maritime exploration led to direct trade routes, the expansion of the transatlantic slave trade, and an increase in the importation of African goods like sugar, tobacco, and later, raw materials. This shift transformed the economic relationships and dynamics between the two continents, leading to more extensive and exploitative interactions.