Why did Europeans consider Africans a better source of labor than Native Americans?

The notion that Europeans considered Africans a better source of labor than Native Americans was significantly influenced by the understanding of social dynamics, geography, and the aftereffects of disease on populations. The choice stating that Africans were strangers in the Americas and therefore wouldn't have allies or places to hide points to the practical realities of the colonial context.

This scenario created a perception of control among European colonizers; Indigenous populations had a deep-rooted familiarity with their territories, allowing them to escape or resist enslavement more effectively. In contrast, Africans, brought over through the Transatlantic Slave Trade, were typically unfamiliar with the land, which made it harder for them to form alliances or bases of support among the local populations. This lack of familiarity significantly reduced their opportunities for escape and rebellion, making them a more manageable labor source in the eyes of the Europeans.

Other factors, such as the agricultural skills of Africans or their resilience to diseases, played roles in Europeans' labor considerations, but the primary reason was the strategic advantage of employing individuals who had no established connections to the land and were thus less likely to resist their enslavement.