Rhode Island Sea Merchants' Wealth: The Triangular Trade in Rum, Slaves, and Molasses

Triangular Trade Cycle

1. Africa: Rhode Island merchants traded rum and textiles for enslaved Africans.
2. Caribbean (or Rhode Island): Enslaved people transported; sold for molasses or labor on sugar plantations.
3. New England: Molasses brought back to Rhode Island distilleries to produce rum, restarting the cycle.

This three-legged trade generated immense profits for merchants involved in all phases, fueling Rhode Island's economy in the 17th–19th centuries.