Enslaved Africans were indispensable to the economic success of European colonies from "summary" of Capitalism & Slavery by Eric Eustace Williams
It is undeniable that the economic success of European colonies in the Americas was heavily reliant on the labor of enslaved Africans. The profitability of sugar plantations, for example, hinged on the backbreaking work of enslaved Africans who toiled in the fields under brutal conditions. The sheer volume of labor required to cultivate and process sugar cane meant that European colonizers turned to Africans as the most cost-effective solution. Their labor was not only essential but also indispensable to the economic prosperity of these colonies. Furthermore, the triangular trade system that emerged as a result of the demand for African labor further solidified the importance of enslaved Africans to the colonial economy. The trade of enslaved Africans for goods such as sugar, rum, and textiles created a cycle of dependency that enriched European powers at the expense of African lives. The profits generated from...
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