The Triangular Slave Trade, also known as the Transatlantic Slave Trade, involved several countries during the 16th to 19th centuries. This trade route formed a triangle, connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The main participants in this trade were European colonial powers, primarily Portugal, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Britain.

1. Portugal:
- Portugal was the first European country to establish trade connections with Africa in the mid-15th century.
- Portuguese explorers, such as Prince Henry the Navigator, initiated slave trading activities along the West African coast.
- They established trading posts and forts, mainly in present-day Angola and Mozambique, to facilitate the capture, purchase, and transportation of slaves.

2. Spain:
- As one of the leading colonial powers, Spain was heavily involved in the triangular slave trade.
- Spanish explorers, like Christopher Columbus, initiated the widespread enslavement of Indigenous populations in the Americas.
- Slaves were transported from West Africa to Spanish colonies in Central and South America, including present-day Mexico, Cuba, and Peru.

3. France:
- France actively participated in the slave trade, mainly during the 17th and 18th centuries.
- French colonies in the Caribbean, such as Haiti, Guadeloupe, and Martinique, relied heavily on enslaved labor.
- French slave ships transported millions of African slaves to work on plantations, primarily cultivating sugar and coffee.

4. The Netherlands:
- The Dutch played a significant role in the transatlantic slave trade, primarily through their involvement in the Dutch West India Company.
- Dutch traders established forts and trading posts along the West African coast, particularly in present-day Ghana and Nigeria.
- They transported enslaved Africans to Dutch colonies in the Caribbean, including Suriname and the Dutch Antilles.

5. Britain:
- Britain became the dominant player in the triangular slave trade during the 18th century.
- British traders transported millions of African slaves to British colonies in the Caribbean, such as Jamaica, Barbados, and the Bahamas.
- British ships were also involved in the Middle Passage, the brutal journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

Other countries, such as Denmark, Sweden, and the United States, were also involved in the slave trade, although to a lesser extent compared to the major colonial powers mentioned above. However, it is important to note that participation in the triangular slave trade was not limited to these specific countries. Traders from various European nations, as well as African intermediaries, were involved in this deeply exploitative and inhumane system.

America, Africa and Europe