AP World History Practice Exam 2026 – The Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The Triangular Slave Trade is primarily known for its complex system that involved the transport of enslaved people, molasses, and various trade goods among three pivotal regions: West Africa, the Americas, and Europe. This triangular route formed a significant part of the transatlantic trading system from the 16th to the 19th century.

On one leg of the triangle, European ships would travel to Africa to trade goods for captured or purchased enslaved individuals. The next leg involved transporting these enslaved people across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas, where they were forced into labor, particularly in plantation economies growing cash crops like sugar and tobacco. The final leg of the journey saw ships returning to Europe carrying molasses and other products produced in the Americas, contributing to the European economy.

This system not only facilitated the inhumane transportation and forced labor of millions of individuals but also significantly impacted demographic, economic, and cultural landscapes across these interconnected regions. It established a brutal cycle of exploitation and profit that shaped global trade patterns and had enduring effects on societies involved in the trade.