1530s: The decade when Iberian merchants fully established the Triangular Trade route (Europe → Africa → Americas), which served as the blueprint for all fut…

1530s: The decade when Iberian merchants fully established the Triangular Trade route (Europe → Africa → Americas), which served as the blueprint for all future colonial powers Iberian ports began organizing complex voyages to Africa to collect captives before proceeding to Spanish American markets. This transition marked the start of the formal triangular trade routes established by the Spanish and Portuguese crowns.