1501-1867: An analysis of nearly 35,000 documented slave voyages reveals that 93 percent of all transatlantic traffic was organized in just twenty major ports.

1501-1867: An analysis of nearly 35,000 documented slave voyages reveals that 93 percent of all transatlantic traffic was organized in just twenty major ports. While the database records departures from 188 distinct locations around the Atlantic basin, these primary hubs, led by Rio de Janeiro and Salvador da Bahia, dominated the commercial landscape. The relative importance of these ports fluctuated over time, shifting from European centers like Lisbon and London toward American hubs like Rio and Havana in the nineteenth century. This concentration of resources and financial networks allowed the top twenty ports to carry off a combined total of over 8.3 million captives.