1526-1641: During the initial phases of the trade in West Central Africa, captives were primarily funneled from the Kingdom of Kongo and the Ndongo Kingdom, …

1526-1641: During the initial phases of the trade in West Central Africa, captives were primarily funneled from the Kingdom of Kongo and the Ndongo Kingdom, often referred to as Ngolas. These individuals were typically transported first to the island of São Tomé for processing before being transshipped to various markets in the Americas. The founding of Luanda by the Portuguese in 1575 created a new strategic hub that eventually came to monopolize much of the regional traffic. The first direct slaving voyages to the Americas departed from the Congo River region, bypassing the traditional island stopovers.