In the triangular trade, which sequence best describes the three broad movements?

• A. Manufactured goods from Europe to Africa and the Americas; slaves from Africa to the Americas; raw materials from the Americas to Europe
• B. Gold and silver from the Americas to Europe
• C. Textiles and spices to the Americas
• D. Slaves from Europe to Africa

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is the three-part flow of the triangular trade that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Manufactured goods were sent from Europe to Africa to exchange for enslaved people, who were then transported to the Americas to work on plantations. The raw materials produced in the Americas—like sugar, cotton, and tobacco—were shipped back to Europe to fuel industry and trade. This three-movement pattern best fits the description because it shows all three legs and the directions of exchange that defined the system. The other options focus on only one leg or omit key movements (such as the transport of people or the return of raw materials), so they don’t capture the full cycle.