Final answer:
The US involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade occurred during the colonization of the New World when the need for labor grew. Europeans attempted to use force to acquire slaves, but it proved impractical. The only feasible method was to trade with Africans, who controlled trade into the interior.
Step-by-step explanation:
The US involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade occurred during the colonization of the New World when the need for labor grew. Europeans attempted to use force to acquire slaves, but it proved impractical. The trade involved capturing Africans and bringing them to trading posts along the coast, where they were processed as cargo. Slaves were kept imprisoned in small, crowded rooms, branded, and segregated by sex and age.