Final answer:
In the 1500s, the Trans-Atlantic slave trade emerged, with Europeans establishing new slave trade networks beyond previous Arab trade, as they sought labor for their colonies in the Americas. The trade in African slaves became essential for the production of cash crops, with trading posts along the African coast marking the start of a brutal journey across the Atlantic for countless individuals.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 1500s, significant new slave trade networks developed beyond what was previously established by other civilizations. The Trans-Atlantic slave trade began with the European exploration and colonization of the New World, as the demand for labor to produce cash crops such as sugar and tobacco grew. Before European involvement, the slave trade had been conducted by Arabs who, since around 1,000 C.E., traded African slaves for in-demand goods such as sugar and cotton.
Europeans initially tried to use force to acquire slaves, but soon found that trading with Africans was the only practical method. Africans controlled the trade routes into the interior, leading Europeans to construct trading posts along the coast. Slaves were then transported across the Atlantic, enduring harsh and inhumane conditions, with a high mortality rate during their imprisonment and upon the passage known as the Middle Passage.
This evolution of the slave trade not only brought about the infusion of imported labor into the Americas but also catalyzed the development of racial ideologies and the systematic dehumanization of enslaved people, as Europeans came to view Africans as 'natural slaves' based on their skin color and non-Christian beliefs.