Pioneers of Enslavement and the Slave Trade in Africa

Abstract

Humanity saw its greatest tragedy when the exploration ships sailed out of Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal. Spreading their sails to the friendly wind and ocean tides, they scoured the West African shores looking for profitable human catch. They continued to sail southward looking for safe harbors and secure central markets for 30 years. They arrived in Guinea in 1446, Cape Verde in 1460, and Sao Tome in 1471. The Portuguese led the way to enslavement and the slave trade in Africa. They crossed its center from the west to the east, from Angola to Mozambique, and crossed the Atlantic to Brazil and the Caribbean islands.