Which nation was the first to export slaves to Colonial America?

The correct answer is Holland, as they were significant contributors to the transatlantic slave trade during the early colonial period. The Dutch established the first successful slave trading company, known as the Dutch West India Company, in the early 17th century. This company was responsible for transporting enslaved Africans to their colonies in the Americas, particularly to regions like the Caribbean and parts of what would later become the United States.

While other nations like Spain and Portugal were heavily involved in the slave trade as well—Spain transporting enslaved Africans primarily to their Caribbean colonies and Portugal executing a significant portion of the slave trade to Brazil—the Dutch were the first to export slaves directly to what would become Colonial America. Their role in this early phase of the slave trade is often underrepresented in discussions about the origins of slavery in what became the United States.