Answer:
One of the key justifications for the transatlantic slave trade was the belief that Africans were inherently inferior to Europeans and other groups.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the key justifications for the transatlantic slave trade was the belief that Africans were inherently inferior to Europeans and other groups. This idea was based on pseudo-scientific theories of race that claimed that there were fundamental biological differences between different racial groups. According to this view, Africans were seen as less intelligent, less civilized, and less capable of self-governance than Europeans. This belief was used to justify the enslavement of Africans and to argue that they were better off as slaves, as they were supposedly incapable of managing their own affairs.
Another way in which ideas about race were used to justify the transatlantic slave trade was through the dehumanization of Africans. Enslaved Africans were often treated as mere commodities or property, rather than as human beings with rights and dignity. This dehumanization was facilitated by the belief that Africans were somehow less human than Europeans and other groups. This belief was used to justify the brutal treatment of enslaved Africans, including their forced labor, physical abuse, and separation from their families and communities.