Why did transatlantic slave trade start?

The transatlantic slave trade began in the late 15th century primarily due to the demand for labor in the Americas, where European colonizers sought to exploit land for cash crops like sugar, tobacco, and cotton. Indigenous populations had been decimated due to disease and violence, creating a labor shortage. African slaves were seen as a more sustainable solution, leading to the establishment of a brutal trade system that forcibly transported millions of Africans to the New World. Economic interests and the desire for profit drove this inhumane practice, which had devastating effects on African societies and cultures.