Question

TIMED!!!

Following their "discovery” of African populations willing to trade valuable commodities such as gold, ivory, wax, peppers, and grain—and slaves—the Portuguese established trading factories (feitorias) at strategic locations. Some of these outposts were eventually fortified, but unless they had been built on an uninhabited island, their maintenance depended heavily on the goodwill and tolerance of neighboring African societies. Thus while Portuguese activities in some regions were mainly limited to missions of diplomacy and evangelization, major trading factories and bulking centers were established in Arguin, the Cape Verde Islands, Elmina, and São Tomé. Fueled by commerce with multiple polities on the African mainland, and the local production of commodities such as textiles, sugar, and cotton, several of these outposts rapidly became Portuguese colonies peopled by Iberians and increasingly, mixed-race Luso-Africans.

– David Wheat
"Iberian Roots of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, 1440–1640”

According the excerpt, the slave trade in West Africa

A) was a consequence of European invasion and overthrow of West African kingdoms.
B) was driven by wealthy African merchants intent on profiting from European exploration.
C) existed prior to contact with Europeans but was stimulated by European demand for chattel slaves.
D) was widely condemned by European aristocracy, so it was conducted by black-market merchants bypassing Spanish and Portuguese law.

Answer 1

The slave trade in West Africa existed before European contact but was expanded and intensified by the Portuguese demand for slaves to serve on sugar plantations, marking the beginnings of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the excerpt by David Wheat on the Portuguese establishment of trade networks and their interaction with African societies, the slave trade in West Africa existed prior to contact with Europeans but was significantly stimulated by European demand for chattel slaves. The Portuguese were not the creators of the slave trade in Africa, as slavery existed among African states, but they elevated this trade to new heights by transporting enslaved people to work on their sugar plantations on various Atlantic islands and later into European nations.

The Trans-Atlantic slave trade was thus fueled by European demand for labor-intensive crops like sugar, cotton, and rice, leading to the development of these commodities on plantations which heavily utilized enslaved African labor. It's notable that while the Portuguese initially engaged in trade and diplomatic relations, their economic pursuits eventually led to the establishment of several colonies peopled by Iberians and Luso-Africans, signaling the transition of trading posts into full-fledged colonial enterprises.