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C onn ect i ng C u ltu r es T hrough F am i ly and F ood

Which didn’t take long—his sons killed him. Meanwhile, a couple of kingdoms over, another youngmanwas denied his father’s throne. The king accused his son of being cowardly, although in truth he was just jealous of his son’s hunting skills. Realizing he had no future at home, the son set out for distant lands. He met the daughter of the other king (now in charge of her father’s land), married her, and went on to establish his own powerful kingdom. In doing so, Chibinda Ilunga became one of Africa’smost famous immigrants, writing his name into history. The Slave Trade B efore the year 1500, people all over Africa were migrants. Some, like Chibinda Ilunga, moved within the continent. Others crossed into Europe and Asia. Some were chasing power or wealth, but most were likely just seeking a modest version of a better life. Unfortunately, much of the history of Africa has a sadder story. As people fromother countries beganexploring—and exploiting —the resourc- es of Africa, humans became one of the top commodities . People were captured to be sold into slavery. They were rounded up and put in chains and pens. Some slaves were shipped north, to areas such as Portugal or the Netherlands. Others went to the Middle East, India, and Asia. The best-known story of African slavery, however, is the trans-Atlantic trade that brought slaves to the Americas. In a complex pattern known as the “triangle trade,” the Europeans brought goods south to Africa, where they sold them and used the money to buy slaves. During the second part of the cycle, the “middle passage,” slaves were shipped to the Americas, first to South and Central America and later to the United States. There,