1534-1862: The Congo River served as a vital maritime artery for the slave trade, though the primary embarkation points were often concentrated just north an…

1534-1862: The Congo River served as a vital maritime artery for the slave trade, though the primary embarkation points were often concentrated just north and south of the river estuary. The region’s importance reached its peak at both the very beginning and the final decades of the Atlantic slaving era. While the Portuguese were the first and most consistent traders in the sixteenth century, they were later joined by Dutch and British merchants during the middle and late eighteenth century. In the nineteenth century, the trade was sustained by merchants based in the United States, Brazil, and Cuba, ensuring a continuous flow of labor from the African interior.