What was trade like between European and Africans before the 1800’s ?

Traders from Europe went to West Africa and offered cloth, rum, salt, and other goods in exchange for slaves. Many Africans became wealthy by trading slaves for goods like these. In addition to these goods, the European traders also offered to trade guns for slaves.

European trading had a transforming impact on Africa. Europeans poured into Africa enormous volumes of commerce, the whole range of European manufactured goods and hardware, notably firearms, luxury goods (especially alcohol) and transhipped items from Asia (particularly textiles).