Mercantilism was the name given to the trade system where finished manufactured goods were sent to Africa in exchange for slaves who were sent to the Americas and exchanged for colonial goods that would finally be returned to the home country. Actually the Triangle Trade Routes gave the colonies the opportunity to get around the restrictions put on them.
This was a great way for the
western countries to find a market for their finished products as well as get
cheap labor in the form of slaves that they bought from Africa.