By the mid-19th century the development of European capital-* ism had begun to dictate a different relationship with Africa. It and until the became evident that it was more economically viable in the long run to trade with the continent; instead of transporting African labour to the New World, capital could be exported to Africa and cheap labour could be used on the spot to plunder the natural resources of the continent. But trade in slaves was still highly profitable, especially with the increases in slave prices, and the trade had to be internationally suppressed before 'legitimate' commerce between Africa and Europe could develop.
had illegalised slave-trading by 1842, however, it was not until the cessation of the demand for slaves brought about by the American Civil War Ships were specially designed to pack in the maximum number of slaves