Implications of the slave trade for African societiesDevelopment of slave-based states and economies
The Atlantic slave trade had a negative impact on African societies and the long-term impoverishment of West Africa. For some it intensified effects already present among its rulers and kingdoms.
The development of slave-based states and economies
Africans could become enslaved:
as punishments for a crime
as payment for a family debt
most commonly as a result of being held captive as prisoners of war
Some societies preyed on others to obtain captives to exchange for firearms. They believed they had to acquire firearms in this way to protect themselves from attack and capture by rivals.
Slavery within African society grew in parallel with the Atlantic slave trade. As the demand of the Atlantic trade grew, more societies accommodated themselves to the trade in enslaved people. Most of the enslaved people retained within African societies were women and children. Their burden of work increased as a result.