labour to work the gold and silver mines and tobacco plantations -criminal and outcasted slaves from Europe, or indigenous had perished, turned to Africans for labour force -Africans had certain level of immunity to some tropical diseases. They had experience and skills in metal-working mining and tropical agriculture -African rulers who provided the captives -Main source of people for sale into slavery was those captured in warfare -primary motive of these wars was the formation and expansion of states - rarely sold ppl from their own society, except unwanted criminals and outcasts
