1501: The trade in African captives to the Americas began in the Greater Antilles. The vessels did not come directly from the African coast. They arrived from

1501: The trade in African captives to the Americas began in the Greater Antilles. The vessels did not come directly from the African coast. They arrived from Spain. These early forced migrants were often already residents of Europe before being transported across the Atlantic. This initial phase established the legal and commercial frameworks for the much larger trade that would follow. Participation in these early voyages was shaped by geographic opportunity and the prevailing winds of the Atlantic basin.