In 1518, King Charles I of Spain issued a royal charter that changed the Americas forever. Before this decree, enslaved Africans were usually transported first to Spain or Portugal, a long and costly process. The new charter authorized the direct shipment of captives from Africa to the Americas. This created a faster, more profitable route, and the transatlantic slave trade began to operate on an industrial scale. The decision was driven by the catastrophic decline of Indigenous populations in the Caribbean, who were dying from European diseases and colonial violence. This direct route, established on August 18, 1518, opened the floodgates for a centuries-long system of forced migration and exploitation.
The Transatlantic Slave Trade
The history of the transatlantic slave trade, which carried about 12.5 million Africans to the Americas, from Spain's 1518 licence to Britain's 1807 ban and Brazil's abolition of slavery in 1888.
Chapter 1
The Royal Charter
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Triangular Trade?
It was a three-part economic cycle. European ships brought goods to Africa to trade for enslaved people, who were then transported to the Americas via the Middle Passage. Raw materials like sugar and cotton, produced by their labor, were then shipped back to Europe.
How many people were affected by the transatlantic slave trade?
The Slave Voyages database estimates that about 12.5 million Africans were forced onto slave ships between 1500 and 1866. Due to horrific conditions, only around 10.7 million survived the journey to the Americas.
When did the transatlantic slave trade officially end?
While many nations passed laws against the trade earlier, it effectively ended on May 13, 1888. On that day, Brazil, the last country in the Americas to permit slavery, abolished the practice with the Lei Áurea, or "Golden Law."
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