Final answer:
The African slave trade was an extensive system intensified by European demand for labor, which led to warfare, political destabilization, and new African polities focused on the trade. European mercantilism bolstered this trade for economic gain, while the enslaved sought to preserve their dignity and humanity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The African slave trade, also known as the transatlantic slave trade, was an extensive system in which 10 to 15 million Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas to work as slaves. Initiated in the late fifteenth century, this trade involved European powers seeking African labor to support their new colonies, particularly in the production of sugarcane. European involvement intensified the demand for slaves and transformed the dynamics and scale of the African slave trade. Africans played a role in capturing, transporting, and selling their own people to meet these demands, which resulted in constant warfare and political destabilization.
European nations such as Portugal, Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands exchanged firearms, alcohol, and other goods for slaves, interacting primarily with coastal African states like Whydah and Dahomey. The Africans charged Europeans for trade rights and imposed taxes on slave purchases, enriching themselves and building powerful, militarized states focused on the slave trade. Consequently, this led to the rise of new African polities that thrived on trade in human lives.
European mercantilism also influenced this relationship, as colonies were considered essential for the wealth of the mother country, which increased the demand for slave labor. Slavery provided Europeans with immense economic benefits, while enslaved Africans maintained their dignity and humanity through cultural practices and passive resistance. The legacy of the slave trade continues to impact Africa today, reflected in socioeconomic challenges and lingering underdevelopment.