when did the europeans start using africans as slaves?

[David L]

Before it was abolished by the dominant European culture in the mid 1800s slavery had existed as long as history has been recorded. The Romans owned African slaves as well as Europeans and Asiatics.

In Africa, slavery has been an industry as long as we can remember. It should be noted that the Europeans did not take the slaves themselves, but bought them from other Africans who had captured them. The American market was certainly a stimulus to the business, but the practice of slavery was in place beforehand.

It was only in the early 1800s that any nation began to recognise that slavery should be abolished as a social evil. The British and French led the way, with other nations following eventually. The Americans, of course, fought the first modern war over the practice.

It should also be noted that much of the British involvement in Africa after the antislavery laws was in an attempt to impose enough order to stop the slavers from operating, and that since they left slavery has again become a common practice in parts of the continent.

Finally, with regard to the earlier answer blaming African slavery on the Jews, Talmud forbids one Jew from owning another. All a slave has to do is convert, and he or she must be freed. Slavery is not practible for practicing Jews.

So that must be another lie, hey?