In the late 15th century, the trans-Saharan, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean slave trades occurred, leading to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which formed “from the beginning of the 16th century to the mid 19th century when Europe made contact with Africa and approximately 12 million slaves were shipped to the Americas (Lovejoy, 2000). The external demand for slaves provided increased opportunities for individuals to engage in various unproductive activities. Slave raiders, slave traders and other middlemen were needed to capture slaves and bring them to coastal ports. Slave raiding and slave trading are unproductive activities because they do not create value.”(Nunn, 2007). According to our textbook,”the British were early pioneers in the slave
