Final answer:
The illustration of a slave ship represents the spread of smallpox in the Americas due to the transatlantic slave trade, which also had profound impacts on African communities and the economy of the Americas.
Step-by-step explanation:
The important effect of the event illustrated by the image of a slave ship would be the spread of smallpox in the Americas (c). During the Atlantic slave trade, enslaved Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas, where their arrival coincided with the outbreak and spread of various diseases, including smallpox. The slave trade had a devastating effect on African communities, as millions were taken away, reducing the potential for social and cultural progress. In the Americas, the labor of enslaved individuals was primarily used in the cultivation of crops such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton, which were in high demand for the growing industries in Europe. The abolition of the foreign slave trade in 1807 did not immediately end slavery but instead gave rise to a domestic slave trade within the United States. Conversely, the cotton boom led to an increased demand for slave labor and the expansion of port cities like New Orleans, along with broad economic ramifications.