By the end of the 17th century, colonists were importing many Africans via European slave traders as slaves to satisfy the demand for labor. There was limited demand for slaves and trade with America was not profitable, with the trade with the West Indies and South America remaining far more lucrative.
By the late 1600s, colonists were bringing in large numbers of Africans through European slave traders as workers. However, there was little demand for slaves, and trading with America was not a lucrative business, unlike trade with the Caribbean and South America.