Final answer:
The Triangular Trade was a historical trade network linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It involved exchanging European manufactured goods for African slaves who were then shipped to the Americas to labor for goods that were sent back to Europe.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Triangular Trade was a three-legged network of trade during the late fifteenth to early nineteenth centuries that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas. In this system, Europe sent manufactured goods such as cloth, beads, and firearms to Africa, where they were exchanged for slaves. These slaves were then transported to the Americas through the harrowing Middle Passage.
They were sold into forced labor on plantations, where they produced agricultural commodities like sugar, rum, tobacco, and cotton. The final leg saw these raw materials shipped back to Europe to complete the triangular route. This brutal and extensive trade pattern was integral to the economies of the colonies and resulted in significant population loss and disruption of societies particularly in Africa.
The items that were part of this trade were raw materials from the Americas, manufactured goods from Europe, and slaves from Africa. The Middle Passage itself was notorious for its inhumane conditions and high mortality rate.