the slave trade began during the 15th century when Portugal, and other European kingdoms, were finally able to expand overseas and reach Africa. The spanish(portuguese) first began to kidnap people from the west coast of Africa and to take those they enslaved back to Europe, and because of that, it led to the depopulation of Africa. Some enslaved Africans had also reached Europe, the Middle East and other parts of the world before the mid-15th century, but many of these African traveled through the Sahara and reached Europe and other destinations from North Africa, or were transported across the Indian Ocean. (WRITE IN YOUR OWN WORDS)
