Although slavery was already a common practice in Africa, the need for cheap labor in the Americas greatly expanded the practice into a major economic venture for European capitalists, African tribes and landowners in the Americas. Human cargo was intentionally segregated, mixing languages and traditions to help maintain control. Captured by their fellow Africans and sold to European trades, the future was bleak. Burt they brought with them cultures rich in tradition and languages that would change the New World forever.