HST 140 Chapter 1.2:
Document Summary
If the slave trade is considered a modern history, it is because it was a trans-atlantic one. Between 1519 and 1807, african ships plied the seas between the americas and. Europe, bringing slaves back to europe to be sold. But many were taken from the open seas on "cargo ships", vessels that would travel to other parts of the world with the aim of bringing home slaves to make a profit. The word "slave" itself has a long history. Slaves came into being at the end of the. Middle ages, when european rulers declared certain groups of men women, free and serfs to be property to be bought, sold and used for labour. The first slaves were the slaves who were sent to europe for the purpose of buying. 1497 the first slave ship sailed from spain, bringing back 10,000 african slaves. But from these slaves they were expected to build ships that brought gold back to spain.
