The "Wonders of Africa" and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

Abstract

Normative debates are difficult to join. The purpose of this contribution is to provide some evidence and a broad context for the ongoing exchange. To start, it is important to note that two critical conditions are needed to sustain a trade in slaves: 1. The existence of a market for slaves and a developed transportation system capable of transporting slaves to that market relatively cheaply. 2. The existence of weakly organized communities whose members can be captured and sold at little cost to the captors.