ter 23: Africa and the Atlantic Slave Trade, 1400-1800 a) What were the economic foundations of the African slave trade? Identify the "Middle Passage" of the slave trade by discussing the nature of the journey and its place within the larger "triangular trade" network. What (rough) percentage survived the journey, and why were the fatalities so high? b)Identify and briefly describe the various states (regional kingdoms and empires) of Africa on the eve of (and during) the slave trade. How were they affected by the slave trade?