What role did the Dutch East India Company play in the slave trade?

History The Dutch East India Company Questions



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What role did the Dutch East India Company play in the slave trade?

The Dutch East India Company played a significant role in the slave trade. They were actively involved in the transportation and trading of enslaved Africans, particularly in their colonies in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) and South Africa. The company established forts and trading posts along the African coast, where they would purchase enslaved individuals from local African traders. These enslaved Africans were then transported on Dutch ships to various destinations, including the Dutch colonies in the East Indies and South Africa, where they were used as laborers on plantations and in other industries. The Dutch East India Company's involvement in the slave trade contributed to the growth of the Dutch economy and the expansion of their colonial empire.