Question on slavery?

Question

Me and my friend are having an argument about who started slavery. I think it was the Portuguese for bringing slave trade to Europe but he blame the Africans themselves.

Who did started slavery?

Answer 1

Your both wrong it was actually the Egyptians who started slavery, because they forced the Hebrews to work for them.  

Answer 2

If you are talking about who started the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade it was the Portugese

The Portugese first took African captives as slaves in 1502 to what is now know as Brazil.

Brazil was the last to outlaw slavery and the importation of slaves by 1888  who were basically decendants of Portugese as Brazil became a republic the year later.

Its Portugal they began and ended the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.

Africans only supplied the slaves but did not cross and ocean with them

Answer 3

The McDonalds.

Answer 4

Slavery has been around since the first city states in Sumeria, the Hittites, and virtually every society even before histories began to be written or legends were written down.  And no society was not guilty of having slaves.

That said there were many different ways that slaves were treated.  In some societies slaves could eventually become free men although it was almost impossible for women even in the most tolerant societies.  Other societies used slaves to make sacrifices to their Gods.

The difficulty of the American experience with slavery was that the concept of slavery was justified by a literal interpretation of the Bible and by a strong early eugenics and racist attitude of assumed superiority.

Answer 5

Slavery has been around for the longest. There was the enslaving of the Hebrews to the Egyptians (although their slavery was quite different). Also in Ancient Rome, their culture was also built upon the back of captured prisoners turned slaves.  

Answer 6

Slavery has been around since the dawn of man. It was a very common practice to capture and enslave the members of opposing tribes.  

Answer 7

I think the above posters have already stated earlier periods of slavery.  There was serfdom in England up to the 1600s and in France until 1789.  Serfdom was really a form of slavery.

Slavery in the U.S. was mostly agricultural.  However, at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution a new type of slavery came into being, particularly in Europe.  Penniless orphans were often times put in workhouses.

There were Africans who sold other Africans to slave traders.  The Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and English played a role in slave trading.  Also, most of the slave traders that sold slaves to Southern planters were from the North.

I think the west has evolved in is understanding that to own another is wrong.  There are some parts of the world that are behind in this evolution.