dec 21, 1471 - December 21, 1471: Portuguese discover Sao Tome
Description:
Sao Tome is an island in the Gulf of Guinea in Africa. Upon discovering it, the Portuguese established similar sugar plantations to those in Madeira. However, Sao Tome was malaria-ridden, making it unpleasant to European colonists. Instead, plantation owners turned to native Africans to work on their sugar plantations. This made Sao Tome the first extractive state, where there were a few white colonists controlling plantations with a great number of African laborers.
Added to timeline:
Timeline: Role of the colonial powers in the establishment and expansion of slavery; asiento system
Date:
