The importation of slaves into the New World was part of a process known as what?

The importation of slaves into the New World is best understood as part of the Triangular Trade. This system involved a triangular route between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Europeans would send manufactured goods to Africa, where they would trade these goods for enslaved Africans. These enslaved individuals were then transported to the Americas to work on plantations, and in return, raw materials such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton were shipped back to Europe. This system was crucial to the economic development of the Americas and significantly shaped the economic and social landscapes of both the New World and the African continent.

Mercantilism refers to the economic theory that emphasizes the accumulation of wealth through trade, particularly in the context of colonial expansion, but it does not specifically address the slave trade. The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement that divided newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal and was not directly related to the slave trade. The Colombian Exchange refers to the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World following Columbus's voyages, but it encompasses more than just the slave importation and includes various forms of exchange. Thus, Triangular Trade specifically describes the process of slave importation.