The Atlantic slave trade was a historical period from the 16th to the 19th century during which millions of Africans were forcibly taken from their homes and transported to the Americas. This trade was part of a larger system known as the triangular trade, where ships carried goods from Europe to Africa, enslaved people from Africa to the Americas, and raw materials back to Europe. Enslaved Africans were primarily used for labor on plantations, especially in the production of crops like sugar, tobacco, and cotton. The conditions on the ships were brutal, leading to high mortality rates. The Atlantic slave trade had lasting impacts on societies, economies, and cultures in both Africa and the Americas.