slave trade

/ˌsleɪv ˈtreɪd/

/sleɪv treɪd/

Other forms: slave trades

The practice of kidnapping people, selling them, and forcing them to work is known as the slave trade. Between 1526 and 1867, more than 12 million Africans were stolen and sold as part of the Atlantic slave trade.

Slave trades have existed since ancient times, including in Mesopotamia and during the Roman Empire. During the Atlantic slave trade, millions of West African people were seized and transported across the ocean. Most of these enslaved people were forced to labor in the Caribbean and South America, while others were sold to colonists in British North America. The cruel practice ensured a lifetime of free labor, and it continued in the U.S. until the end of the Civil War.

Definitions of slave trade

1. noun

   traffic in slaves; especially in Black Africans transported to America in the 16th to 19th centuries
   synonyms: slave traffic

   type of:

   traffic

   buying and selling; especially illicit trade