Transatlantic Slave Trade Causes

The Transatlantic slave trade and its causes were a major event in European and world history, its ongoing spiral of events leaves a major mark on many societies. Europeans greed and power led to the rise of the Atlantic slave trade. The cause of all these events was minor, and snowballed into the major problems of today. These events shine through to today where discrimination is around every corner and lurking everywhere. The Transatlantic slave trade steered history on a course to discrimination and hate among the human race. The cause of the beginning of African slavery in the new world is not a light topic, and many historians argue many different points, although none can pinpoint an exact date. Some historians argue that the Portuguese triggered it when they sailed down the coast of Africa, discovering tribes, while some historians argue that it was in fact Christopher Columbus's landing in the new word that caused it. Slavery was not a new idea at the time, with Africans enslaving each other and Europeans having different forms of slavery back into the early pre-modern world. European slavery in the new world was on another level of wrong though. Europeans at first did not seek out Africans, as they planned to use the natives. The Europeans later found out that European viruses that hardly affected them would be devastating to the natives. Smallpox was of the worst diseases that made its way over, killing natives in 1/4 the time as it killed Europeans as natives had no immunity and could not fight it off. This combined with the fact that there were nowhere
near enough indentured servants led for the high demand in discovery of a new labor source. Europeans also were not fit to handle tropical heat and moisture, causing indentured servants to be even more useless. Africans on the other hand lived around the equator, and as a bonus had been farming for a lot longer than Europeans had. Africans also were resistant to smallpox and other diseases too, making them a great slave for the new world. Africans not being Christian also allowed for it as Europeans did not feel remorse or empathy for them. All of these points made the Europeans initiate slave trade, which would bring around 12.5 million slaves out of their homeland, with only about 10.7 million surviving. But what was to come of the African slavery issue? The effects are very clear and boldly protrude into modern society.
The African slavery issue continues to this day, where discrimination and hate run rampant, and continue to affect the lives of many people all across the world.
At the time slavery was a benefit for those in control, and is a major cause of the development of the original 13 European colonies in the new world which would lead into the creation of The United States of America and create modern
democracy.