Editing Africa (section)

=== Height of the slave trade ===

Slavery existed in several African societies before the rise of the Atlantic slave trade, but the scale, direction, and impact of forced movement changed greatly between the 15th and 19th centuries. The Atlantic slave trade transported millions of Africans to the Americas. Other slave trades moved people across the Sahara, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean.

The Atlantic trade altered the political and economic development of many regions. Some states and coastal authorities became involved in the capture, sale, and transport of enslaved people. Other communities resisted slave raiding, migrated inland, fortified settlements, or reorganized political authority in response to insecurity.

The human cost was extensive. Families and communities were disrupted, population patterns changed, and violence increased in many areas. The abolition of the Atlantic trade during the 19th century did not immediately end slavery or forced labor. In several regions, slavery continued under local, colonial, or commercial systems.