<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The best - known triangular trading system is the transatlantic slave trade, that operated from the late 16th to early 19th centuries, carrying slaves, cash crops, and manufactured goods between West Africa, Caribbean or American colonies and the European colonial powers, with the northern colonies of British North America, especially New England, sometimes taking over the role of Europe . The use of African slaves was fundamental to growing colonial cash crops, which were exported to Europe . European goods, in turn, were used to purchase African slaves, who were then brought on the sea lane west from Africa to the Americas, the so - called Middle Passage . Despite being driven primarily by economic needs, Europeans sometimes had a religious justification for their actions . In 1452, for instance, Pope Nicholas V, in the Dum Diversas, granted to the kings of Spain and Portugal "full and free permission to invade, search out, capture, and subjugate the Saracens (Muslims) and pagans and any other unbelievers...and to reduce their persons into perpetual slavery ." </P> <P> A classic example is the colonial molasses trade . Sugar (often in its liquid form, molasses) from the Caribbean was traded to Europe or New England, where it was distilled into rum . The profits from the sale of sugar were used to purchase manufactured goods, which were then shipped to West Africa, where they were bartered for slaves . The slaves were then brought back to the Caribbean to be sold to sugar planters . The profits from the sale of the slaves were then used to buy more sugar, which was shipped to Europe, restarting the cycle . The trip itself took five to twelve weeks . </P>

What was traded along the triangular trade route