Final answer:
In the early 17th century, there were few purchases of Africans due to factors like high death rates of European indentured servants and diseases diminishing the Indigenous labor force, eventually necessitating increased African slavery for the growing demand of plantation economies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Reason for Few Purchases of Africans in Early 17th Century
The early seventeenth century marked the start of significant European slave trade in Africa. However, the number of enslaved Africans purchased during this time was still relatively low compared to later centuries. Various factors contributed to this situation, including the high death rates among European indentured servants in the Americas due to tropical diseases, which eventually shifted the preference towards African slaves, who were thought to be more resilient to such conditions. Moreover, it wasn't until the advent of plantation economies, particularly sugar cultivation, that the demand for enslaved labor drastically increased. Initially, Indigenous populations were targeted for labor, but their numbers dwindled rapidly due to diseases brought over by Europeans, leaving a dire need for a labor force. As sugar production and other plantation economies grew, so did the need for enslaved Africans.
Given the increasing demand for labor, European engagement in the African slave trade grew, with entities like the Royal African Company, founded by Charles II in 1660, gaining a monopoly over the slave trade to the English colonies. However, in the early part of the 17th century, these purchases remained few relative to the later periods. The establishment of plantation economies in the Caribbean by England, France, the Netherlands, and Denmark during the seventeenth century significantly increased the number of enslaved Africans brought to the Americas. The trade expanded further due to economic incentives and the militarization of African states, which saw wars and kidnappings as methods to capture and sell Africans into European slavery.