Describe Africa's role in the global economy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Question

A. Africans in the Kingdom of Kongo primarily profited off of the slave trade with Asia.
B. Africans sold enslaved people to the Middle East to do hard labor.
C. Africans sold pottery, silks, glassware, and porcelain to Asia and the Middle East.
D. Africa sold gold, ivory, and enslaved people while under the control of Portugal.

Answer 1

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Africa played a critical role in the global economy, particularly in the context of trade and the emergence of the transatlantic slave trade. The correct answer that encapsulates this role is:

D. Africa sold gold, ivory, and enslaved people while under the control of Portugal.

During this period, Portuguese and other European powers engaged in trade with various African kingdoms, exchanging goods such as gold and ivory for European manufactured products, while also participating in the horrific trade of enslaved people, which became a central aspect of the Atlantic economy. African regions were pivotal in supplying these commodities, significantly influencing global trade patterns and economic developments during the era.