What does trans-Atlantic slave trade mean?

The trans-Atlantic slave trade refers to the forced transportation of millions of Africans to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th centuries. This brutal system involved the capture, sale, and shipment of enslaved individuals across the Atlantic Ocean, primarily to work on plantations in the Caribbean, South America, and North America. It was a significant part of the larger triangular trade, which also included the exchange of goods between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The trade had devastating social, cultural, and economic impacts on African societies and contributed to the development of racial inequalities that persist today.