<human>:  Can you explain the history of the slave trade?
<bot>: The slave trade dates back to at least the 16th century when Portugal began trading in African slaves. The history of the slave trade consists of an extensive period of commerce and exploitation of enslaved African people in the Americas and Europe. Europeans began trading Africans as slaves from the coast of West Africa, in exchange for goods such as weapons and beverages. The mass transport of enslaved Africans began in several West African countries and continued to be a common practice in the Atlantic world until the 19th century when the trade was officially abolished. However, the impact of the slave trade and its legacy continue to be seen in many societies today.