The New World: The Trans-Atlantic Trade System
The Trans-Atlantic Trade System refers to all of the trade done between Europe, Africa, and the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean. Sugar, slaves, and spirits fueled the entire triangular trade. Slaves were exchanged from Africa for rum, rum was produced as a byproduct of sugar, sugar was grown by slaves in the Americas, and Europe developed manufactured goods to aid the production of sugar. All three continents and their exports fit together to form the Trans-Atlantic Trade System. Plantation systems will be introduced during this time to the New World to grow crops. Sugar was grown in the West Indies while tobacco was grown in Brazil. Plantations relied on the import of slaves to function because it was hard work that the Europeans weren’t
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This was a direct result of the Trans-Atlantic Trade System due to the constant export of slaves from Africa to parts of the New World to grow sugar plantations. Many slaves were traded along the middle passage, which was an ocean passage from Africa to the New World across the Atlantic Ocean. Most slaves were shipped to Brazil and the Caribbean than anywhere else in the New World. The slaves were tightly packed into the lower deck of a ship filled with many germs that would never be cleaned. The lower deck showed as a way to restrain the Africans from jumping off the side of the ship to commit suicide. Although, the death rates of slave ships were very high due to the horrible conditions. Disease was a major cause of death among the travelers. A limited amount of food was provided to the slaves which weakened their immune system to make them more susceptible to disease. There was also a lack of waste management in the lower decks of the ships where most of the diseases arose from. The Trans-Atlantic Trade had two economic theories to receive benefit. First, mercantilism where a country’s wealth is determined by their exports. The big idea was to export more than you import to receive greater amounts of wealth. For example, the 13 American Colonies sought out to benefit Britain by placing tariffs on everyone who wanted to buy sugar from them except for Britain. Second, capitalism was believed to invest money in hopes of receiving a profit. There was a limited involvement from the government, so they would be considered joint-stock
This was a direct result of the Trans-Atlantic Trade System due to the constant export of slaves from Africa to parts of the New World to grow sugar plantations. Many slaves were traded along the middle passage, which was an ocean passage from Africa to the New World across the Atlantic Ocean. Most slaves were shipped to Brazil and the Caribbean than anywhere else in the New World. The slaves were tightly packed into the lower deck of a ship filled with many germs that would never be cleaned. The lower deck showed as a way to restrain the Africans from jumping off the side of the ship to commit suicide. Although, the death rates of slave ships were very high due to the horrible conditions. Disease was a major cause of death among the travelers. A limited amount of food was provided to the slaves which weakened their immune system to make them more susceptible to disease. There was also a lack of waste management in the lower decks of the ships where most of the diseases arose from. The Trans-Atlantic Trade had two economic theories to receive benefit. First, mercantilism where a country’s wealth is determined by their exports. The big idea was to export more than you import to receive greater amounts of wealth. For example, the 13 American Colonies sought out to benefit Britain by placing tariffs on everyone who wanted to buy sugar from them except for Britain. Second, capitalism was believed to invest money in hopes of receiving a profit. There was a limited involvement from the government, so they would be considered joint-stock