What caused the middle passage to take place?

Answer 1

The Middle Passage was primarily driven by the transatlantic slave trade, which emerged in the 16th century as European colonies in the Americas required a large labor force to cultivate cash crops like sugar, tobacco, and cotton. To meet this demand, European traders and colonial powers forcibly captured and transported millions of Africans across the Atlantic Ocean under horrific conditions. Economic incentives, including the profitability of slave labor and the growth of plantation economies, fueled this brutal practice, leading to the establishment of a vast trade network that dehumanized countless individuals.