The Atlantic slave trade had a negative impact on African societies and led to the long-term impoverishment of West Africa. The size of the Atlantic slave trade dramatically transformed African societies. The new availability of guns was a direct consequence of the slave trade. The mass importation of guns to trade for enslaved people altered the conduct of warfare in Africa and changed the balance of power between kingdoms. At the height of the Atlantic trade only states equipped with guns were able to resist attacks from their neighbours. Economic incentives for warlords and tribes to engage in the trade of enslaved people promoted an atmosphere of lawlessness and violence. Depopulation and a continuing fear of captivity made economic and agricultural development almost impossible throughout much of western Africa.
An example of how the Atlantic slave trade impacted West Africa is that many West African communities faced population loss.
