The Atlantic slave trade was a monumental event in history which has had far reaching impacts on the world. It began with the Portuguese buying slaves off of rulers in coastal West Africa in the 15th century, but the remainder of Europe was quick to follow. The slave trade lasted for over 300 years, reaching its peak in the 18th century. Over the course of these years, it is estimated that over 12 million African slaves were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas. This large scale and lengthy slave trade brought significant political, cultural, and economic change to the societies involved.
To begin with, the Atlantic slave trade has had a substantial influence on American, European, and African politics. First, During the decline of the slave trade in the 19th century, there was a large push in Europe and America to ban slavery and end the Atlantic slave trade. Much of Europe quickly banned such practices in the early 1800s, but the road for reform was a much longer and more difficult in the USA. Most Northern states opposed slavery, while most Southern states favoured it. In 1861, a civil war erupted between The Union (Northern states) and the Confederate States (Southern states) due to the controversy. The war ended in 1865 with the victory of The Union, and slavery was abolished nationwide, freeing 4 million slaves. This marks an important political milestone in the progression towards the modern world, as it marks the day that slavery was outlawed in the major