The first destination for many enslaved Africans during the Atlantic slave trade was the Caribbean. Islands such as Hispaniola (which today consists of the Dominican Republic and Haiti), Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Barbados were among the earliest locations in the Americas to receive enslaved Africans. These islands served as primary destinations for slaves because of their lucrative sugar plantations, which required large amounts of labor that plantation owners sought to supply with enslaved people. The first significant arrival of African slaves in the Caribbean occurred in the early 16th century, following Columbus's voyages to the Americas.
