Slavery began to develop in the Americas during the age of exploration. New plantations grew sugar and tobacco, which were labor-intensive crops. The work was difficult and required large numbers or slaves. American Indians were a prime example of the slaves used on these plantations. As plantation owners began to look for more labor, American Indian populations became greatly reduced. After the 1500 hundreds however, Africans became more likely to be enslaved based on their race alone and became a global commodity to be bought and sold. The slavery trade had a devastating effect of Africa. Societies and communities were torn apart and, approximately over two million Africans died in slavery. The population in west Africa decreased by millions and slowly became one of the darkest times in history.