1641–1863: The Dutch West Indies, including Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, functioned primarily as a major regional re-export hub for the transatlantic slave t…

1641–1863: The Dutch West Indies, including Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, functioned primarily as a major regional re-export hub for the transatlantic slave trade. While some captives remained on the islands, over 100,000 were transshipped to other American markets, including the Spanish Caribbean mainland and the Guianas. Vessels outfitted in the Dutch ports of Amsterdam, Middelburg, and Vlissingen carried the majority of the human cargo from West Central Africa and the Gold Coast. The strategic location of these islands allowed Dutch merchants to navigate the complex inter-colonial trade networks of the Caribbean. This secondary market was a vital component of the broader Atlantic economy during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.