The African continent, situated between Europe and…

The African continent, situated between Europe and the imagined treasures of the Far East, had quickly became the destination of the European explorers of the fifteenth century.

The first Europeans to explore the West African coast were the Portuguese.

Other European sea powers soon followed, and trade was established with many of the coastal peoples of West Africa.

At first, the trade included gold, ivory, and pepper, but the establishment of American colonies in the sixteenth century spurred a demand for slaves, who soon became the major export from the West African coastal regions.

Local rulers, under treaties with the Europeans, procured goods and slaves from inhabitants of the interior.

By the end of the fifteenth century, commercial contacts with Europe had spawned strong European influences, which permeated areas northward from the West African coast.