"the history of european empire building and trade in the early modern period is essentially the history of exploitation in pursuit of wealth and luxury goods." is this statement a fair assessment of the period?

Africans were exploited which earned huge profits for the European countries. Europe became a strong power with the foundation which is strongly laid by the African people.

Explanation:

The Atlantic slave trade enabled the Europeans to procure slaves from Africa who were employed in tobacco plantations and mines. Able bodies and physically fit young people of Africa were taken away as slaves.  

Not only slave trade but also the internal civil wars that took place in Africa were indeed a weakness which made the European colonies take advantage of the country. Unstable political climate made Africans to go as slaves to other countries. Not only human resource but also other precious natural resource like gold and silver were also taken control of by the colonial government.  

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