The triangular trade was a complex system of transatlantic exchange involving goods and enslaved people between Europe, Africa, and the Americas (particularly the Caribbean and North America). Below is an explanation of each of the routes you mentioned:
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Britain, Africa, North America:
- This trade route primarily involved Britain exporting manufactured goods to Africa, where they were traded for enslaved individuals. The enslaved people were then transported across the Atlantic to North America, where they were sold for labor on plantations, especially in the southern colonies, cultivating cash crops like tobacco, sugar, and cotton.
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Africa, Caribbean, North America:
- Enslaved individuals were transported from Africa to the Caribbean in this route. The Caribbean islands were major sites for sugar plantations that relied heavily on enslaved labor. Once in the Caribbean, sugar and other goods would be produced and sometimes sent to North America. Additionally, natural resources like molasses from the Caribbean were crucial for North American rum production.
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Africa, Britain, Europe:
- In this trade route, Britain imported enslaved people from Africa to work in its colonies and also engaged in the broader trade of goods. Although the majority of triangular trade involved Britain, Europe as a whole (including countries like France, Spain, and Portugal) was engaged in various aspects of the slave trade and commerce. Goods made from enslaved labor in the colonies (like sugar, tobacco, and cotton) were sent back to European markets.
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Caribbean, North America, Britain:
- This route highlights the flow of goods from the Caribbean to North America and then to Britain. The Caribbean exported sugar, molasses, rum, and other products to North America, which in turn processed these goods and sent them to Britain. The profits generated from these exchanges helped to finance the further importation of enslaved individuals from Africa.
Overall, the triangular trade was instrumental in shaping economic systems, leading to significant wealth in Europe while contributing to the suffering and exploitation of millions of African people. It also established a complex interdependence between these regions that had lasting impacts on their societies and economies.