European Struggles for Power and the Slave Trade

Portugal begins importing African slaves to Europe

1442

Slavery had been widely used in the world since the dawn of agriculture. However, with the dawn of conceptions of race, racial slavery began as slaves were taken from Africa first to be sold in Europe. In the beginning, Portugal had power over the slave trade

Spanish take African slaves to Hispanola

1503

With the creation of new plantations in the "New World," a need for free labor arose. The Spanish were the first to use African slaves on their plantations.

First British slave trade expidition

1562

The British sent their first trader to Africa. After this, few British traders operated. The industry was still dominated by Portugal.

First slaves in British colonies

1619

The first record of Slaves in British colonies. British began to build plantations as they developed colonies in the New World and slavery grew in continental North America.

France begins participation in slave trade

1642

French colonies in North America had little need for slaves, but the had the largest Caribbean colonies and imported huge numbers of slaves here, especially to Haiti.

British form the Royal African Company

1672

This company signified the beginning of Britain's heavy involvement in trans-Atlantic slave trade. They transported mainly to the British colonies on the mainland and the British West Indies.

Britain abolishes trans-Atlantic slave trade

1807

After the 1780's, public outcry in Europe began against the harmful and cruel nature of the slave trade. In 1807, parliament abolished British slave trade in favor of popular opinion. After this, Atlantic slave trade was greatly diminished. Colonies in the Americas relied on generational slavery, keeping the descendants of Africans enslaved to work on plantations.