Some will die of disease, some of starvation, and some simply of despair. This was the fate of millions of West Africans across three and a half centuries of the slave trade on the voyage known as the "middle passage."

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Explain the reasons for the rise of slavery in the American colonies
Describe changes to Indian life, including warfare and hunting
Contrast European and Indian views on property
Assess the impact of European settlement on the environment

Questions raised in this chapter: Why were African slaves used primarily for forced labor in the cotton and sugar plantations in the Americas? (Instead of indentured servants and or Native Americans) 2. Why was the Trans-Atlantic slave trade transformative to the economic way of life in the Americas? 3. How did African slavery in the New World differ fundamentally from past instances of slavery and other systems of labor in the same era? 4. How did the geography of the region dictate the role of slaves?