1550: By the middle of the sixteenth century, the population of Lisbon had been significantly altered by the early slave trade, with black Africans constitut…

1550: By the middle of the sixteenth century, the population of Lisbon had been significantly altered by the early slave trade, with black Africans constituting 10 percent of the city’s inhabitants. This demographic shift reflected the Portuguese crown’s early and deep involvement in the importation of captives from the West African coast. These individuals were utilized in various domestic and industrial roles within the metropole before the massive expansion of the plantation system in the Americas. This presence in the capital served as a visible testament to the growing maritime and commercial reach of the Portuguese empire.