The Trans-Saharan Slave Trade's Lasting Impact

The Trans-Saharan Slave Trade's Lasting Impact

8th Grade · Social Studies · 45 min

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Learning Objective

I can describe the long-term impact of the Trans-Saharan slave trade on African societies.

  • 1

    The trans-Saharan slave trade lasted nearly two millennia and involved the capture, enslavement, and transportation of over 10 million Africans across the Sahara Desert.

  • 2

    Enslaved Nubians became an integral part of Egyptian society, serving as laborers in agriculture and construction, and female slaves were used as concubines.

  • 3

    The trans-Saharan slave trade relied on established trade routes connecting sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa, with nomadic groups like the Tuareg facilitating the trade as guides, guards, and camel drivers, despite the journey being fraught with danger.