when did the slave trade start?

Answer 1

There is evidence it started in pre-historic times. As in, before they had calendars.

Beginning at least as early as 1502, European slave traders shipped approximately 11 to 16 million slaves to the Americas, including 500,000 to what is now the United States. By the beginning of the eighteenth century, slaves could be found in every area colonized by Europeans.

Initially, English colonists relied on indentured white servants, but by the late seventeenth century, faced with a shortage of servants, they increasingly resorted to enslaved Africans. Three distinctive systems of slavery emerged in the American colonies. In Maryland and Virginia, slavery was widely used in raising tobacco and corn and worked under the "gang" system. In the South Carolina and Georgia low country, slaves raised rice and indigo, worked under the "task" system, and were able to reconstitute African social patterns and maintain a separate Gullah dialect. In the North, slavery was concentrated on Long Island and in southern Rhode Island and New Jersey, where most slaves were engaged in farming and stock raising for the West Indies or were household servants for the urban elite.

Answer 2

The Earliest recorded slave trading started in Ancient Egypt about 4-5,000 years ago and has continued ever since by every major civilisation on the planet and still exists today in some parts of the world.

Answer 3

It goes back thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians held slaves,and so did the ancient Romans. The sad fact is, it's still going on today--you just don't hear much about it. Example: child labor in Far Eastern countries, and women being kept as sex slaves there.

Answer 4

Slavery has always existed. Ancient records from Egypt, Babylon, the Old Testament, all refer to slaves.

So, when did it start? Whenever someone discovered that he had the power over another and could force him to do his will, to work without recompense.

Answer 5

in the US it was 1620 because dutch sailors brought over slaves from africa. they were already being used in the west indies by this time but the colonies begain using slaves in the early 1600s. this of course is only referring to African slave trade. Native Americans were used for slaves in spain and central america much earlier on since Spain was the first country to go explore the new world.

prior to all of this, ancient egyptians, romans, persians, and a few asian groups used the people of the the countries that they conquered as slaves

Answer 6

Slavery has existed for thousands and thousands of years. As long as there have been armies conquering other nations there have been subjugated peoples enslaved to dominant societies. Even after Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Declaration after the US Civil War and the black people living in the USA were freed, there have been enslaved peoples throughout the world.

As a point of history, slavery is a condition of life mentioned in the Bible. "White slavers" still kidnap attractive young girls (and boys) and sell them to lives of secret debauchery in countries around the world. Slavery in some form will always exist as long as one culture believes that another culture or people are inferior and worth less than they are. Sad, but true.

Answer 7

Slavery is ancient. There are a lot of examples in ancient times: Egypt, Rome, etc... There are thoughts that slavery existed 10 000 BCE in the town Jericho, which was the earliest example I found.

Answer 8

Its always been there! since man first started farming rather then hunting... the option to intimidate some poor soul into working the land while you hols a club over there families head has been grasped by every culture and society.

It is thus timeless, as long as there is man...slavery will be hiding somewhere.

Answer 9

As long ago as one man was able to control another.It's still very common in the Middle East,they just hide it well!

Answer 10

In pre-history. In historic times, virtually all civilizations permitted slavery. The africans, the egyptians, the sumerians, the babylonians, the chinese, etc., EVERYONE!