Was Slavery an Important Stage in the Development of Global Trade? (Essay Sample)

How Slavery Contributed to Global Economic Development
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How Slavery Contributed to Global Economic Development
The debate about whether slavery was an essential stage in the global economic development has existed for some time now. While others dispute its contributions, this paper argues that it enhanced international economic development by providing labor, finances through slave trade, and enabling the development of other industries.
Slavery contributed to the growth of the economies by providing cheap labor. Inikori (2020) states that “cotton plantations in the United States… depended…on the labor of enslaved Africans” (p. 9). This dependency brought down the cost of labor, enabling American cotton farmers to produce cotton at low prices. Growing cheap cotton helped them to export it to Europe, enhancing the development of global trade. However, providing cheap labor was not the only advantage of slavery.