1515–1790: During the first phase of the Cuban slave trade, West Central Africa was the primary regional source, accounting for more than 40 percent of the t…

1515–1790: During the first phase of the Cuban slave trade, West Central Africa was the primary regional source, accounting for more than 40 percent of the total captives. The trade was initially managed by Spanish and Portuguese merchants, but British traders became dominant in the eighteenth century, particularly following the brief British occupation of Havana. During this period, the volume of captives remained relatively modest compared to the massive explosion of the trade in the nineteenth century. The labor provided during these years was essential for the early development of Cuba’s tobacco and emerging sugar industries.