Explain the role of African slaves in the production of raw materials and their impact on global trade.

3.2.2 African slaves primarily performed manual labor on plantations, which included planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops.

3.2.3 Sugar was an important crop because it was a highly profitable commodity in Europe, driving the demand for cheap labor to maximize production in the Americas.

3.2.4 The production of raw materials like cotton and sugar contributed to the growth of slavery by creating a massive demand for a large, unpaid workforce. This economic incentive led to the expansion of the transatlantic slave trade.

3.2.5 Besides plantations, enslaved Africans were also forced to work in mining, construction, domestic service, and various skilled trades (e.g., carpentry, blacksmithing).

3.2.6 The labor of African slaves in producing raw materials significantly impacted global trade by fueling the triangular trade system. This system involved raw materials (like sugar, cotton, tobacco) from the Americas going to Europe, manufactured goods from Europe going to Africa, and enslaved people from Africa being transported to the Americas. This created immense wealth for European powers and profoundly shaped global economic networks.