The primary trade item of the transatlantic slave trade was enslaved Africans. This horrific trade involved the forced transportation of millions of Africans to the Americas to work on plantations, primarily in the production of cash crops such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton. Enslaved individuals were seen as commodities, leading to vast profits for European traders and plantation owners. The inhumane conditions and treatment of enslaved people had profound social, economic, and cultural impacts, contributing to the foundation of economies in the Americas while perpetuating systemic racism that continues to affect societies today.