Describe the change that took place in the African slave trade in the 1500s. Describe the Middle Passage and its toll on people.

Before the 1500's Africans had been sold as slaves to North African Arab traders. However in the early 1500's the Spanish and Portuguese became active in the slave trade (exchanging manufacture goods for slaves) and sending slaves to the West Indies or the Middle Passage where they would then be dropped off and sold. The Middle Passage was a boom for slave trade as the Portuguese and Spanish traders would pile up as many slaves as possible in a boat and then trade them for huge profits. However, when the slaves were piled up in the boat, they experienced terrible conditions such as diseases and even death, as well as being chained for the majority of their time on the boats.