How did the Atlantic slave trade affect the people of Benin?

The Atlantic slave trade had a profound and destructive impact on the people of modern-day Benin, which Europeans referred to as the "Slave Coast" due to the high volume of enslaved people exported from the region between the late 17th century and the 1840s.12

The trade caused significant harm through several key factors:

• Depopulation and Militarization: The constant demand for captives led to the depopulation of various regions and fostered a general militarization of society as states competed for power and resources.12
• Warfare and Captivity: Most of those enslaved were war captives taken from across the area, including northern groups like the Bariba and coastal communities. The acquisition of guns from European traders became a central driver of power politics, as kingdoms like Dahomey and Oyo engaged in continual conflict to control trade routes and secure captives.1234
• Cultural Legacy: The forced migration of these individuals resulted in the survival of Beninese cultural elements in the New World, most notably within the Vodou religion of Haiti, which preserves various spirit cults and deities of Ewe-speaking peoples.12