Starting from the supply of African slaves to the American plantations in the late 18th century, the colonial period affected Africans in various ways. After the anti-slave trade legislation finally shut down the Atlantic slave exports, commodity exports filled the gap. This was so-called as the ‘commercial transition’ in West Africa before it hit East Africa. It was a game-changer since it halted the continuous drain of scarce labour and made the way for expansion of land-intensive forms of tropical agriculture, engaging smallholders, communal farms, and estates.