The slave trade grew rapidly during the exploration and exploitation of the Americas due to the demand for cheap labor.
The age of exploration resulted in European countries establishing permanent settlements in different parts of the New World. When establishing these settlements, the explorers encountered new goods and products that would become extremely valuable in European society. In order to maximize their profits on these goods, the colonizers needed a lot of labor. This resulted in several deals made between European leaders and African leaders who were willing to sell their own people into slavery.
The system of slavery would allow for cheap labor and a huge increase in profits for several European countries.