Slave Trade When the Europeans went to the New World they enslaved many of the local people to work in the gold mines and the sugar cane, cotton, and tobacco plantations. However, the local population died rapidly when exposed to European diseases. So the Europeans began importing slaves from Africa to work in their New World colonies. African slaves were part of a system called the "Triangle Trade" - this was a system of trade between Europe, the New World and Africa. Many African slaves died on their way across the Atlantic in a brutal journey called "The Middle Passage". Many think of African slavery as an American (US) event - but the vast majority of African slaves were brought to the Caribbean and South America. Sample Regents Questions: 1) Which statement best describes a result of the scarcity of native Indian labor in Latin America during the colonial period? 1.  unskilled laborers were imported from Asia 2.  many people from Spain and Portugal immigrated to the region 3.  Native American Indians from the British colonies went south to work 4.  large numbers of African slaves were imported 2) In the 1600’s, the interest of Europeans in Africa was based mainly on Europe’s need to 1.  market its surplus agricultural products 2.  obtain workers for its colonies in the Americas 3.  establish collective security arrangements 4.  settle its surplus population on new lands Answers: 1) - 4 2) - 2