Final answer:
The Triangular Trade was a system that involved the shipment of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic. The trade was facilitated by the exchange of goods between Europe, West Africa, and the Americas. Enslaved people played a crucial role in the trade as they provided the labor needed for the production of goods.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Triangular Trade was a system that linked three regions—Europe, West Africa, and the Americas—in a network of exchange. It involved the shipment of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic as part of the second leg, known as the Middle Passage. The money earned from the sale of enslaved Africans in the colonies was used to purchase goods, which were then shipped to Europe or other American colonies as the third leg of the triangle.
For example, English slave traders would exchange rum and manufactured products for captives in Africa. The captives would then be transported to the Caribbean colonies, where they were sold to plantation owners. The plantation owners would then ship molasses, a by-product of sugar production, to Massachusetts, where it was transformed into rum and sent back to England. This cycle continued, with enslaved people providing the labor needed for the trade to thrive.