Why were people from Africa brought to the American colonies as slaves?

The plantation owners in America needed labour that was cheap and devoid of basic human rights in order to profitably operate their huge tobacco and cotton plantations. This forced labour was initially extracted from captive Indians. They often died of diseases contracted from the foreign settlers. For this reason, slaves were brought from Africa en masse, because they were considered more resilient. The slave trade was conducted in a triangular manner. The European traders brought tools, weapons, and clothes to Africa. These articles were purchased by African tribal chiefs in return for slaves, whom they had bought or kidnapped from other tribes. European traders brought the slaves to America, where they exchanged them for sugar, rum tobacco, and other plant products. These goods were in turn sold at a high price in Europe.