The Middle Passage (or transatlantic slave trade) was a voyage that brought slaves from Africa to the Americas via packed ships. The trade began around the early 1500s, and by 1654 approximately 8,000-10,000 slaves were imported from Africa to the Americas each year. This number continued to grow, and by 1750 that figure had risen to approximately 60,000-70,000 slaves per year. Due to the lack of the necessary documents, it is difficult to quantify the exact number of Africans taken from their homeland. But based on available evidence and data, it is estimated that approximately 9-15 million people were brought into the Middle Passage, and of these approximately 3-5 million died. Although the whole idea seems sick and wrong, many intelligent people and ideas helped make the slave trade an economic success. The concept of the slave trade arose in the 1430s, when the Portuguese came to Africa in search of gold (not slaves). . They traded copper wares, textiles, tools, wine, horses, and, later, firearms and ammunition with African kingdoms in exchange for ivory, pepper, and gold (which were prized in Europe). There was no great demand for slaves in Europe, but the Portuguese realized that they could make a good profit by transporting slaves along the African coast from one trading post to another. Slaves were eagerly purchased by Muslim merchants, who used them on trans-Saharan trade routes and sold them into the Islamic empire. The Portuguese continued to collect slaves from throughout the western part of Africa, up to the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), and along the eastern part, traveling as far as Somalia. Along the way, Portugal established trade relations with many African kingdoms, which later helped start the Atlantic slave trade. Because of the good of Portugal for...... middle of paper ......and Olaudah Equiano. It was published in 1789 and was read by people all over the world in different languages. It opened everyone's eyes to what the slave trade really was. Another reason for the end of slavery was the success of the slave revolt in Haiti in 1801-1803. This demonstrated to the Americas that slavery could be defeated. And starting in the 18th century, an industrial revolution was sweeping across Europe and North America, and by the 19th century slaves began to become less of an economic profit. Then, in 1807, Britain became the first country in Europe to abolish slavery. France, Spain, Denmark, and the Netherlands soon followed suit, and a year later America abolished the trade as well. Over the next eighty years countries began to abolish slavery altogether, and in 1865 (after the Union won the American Civil War), America became one of those countries.