How did Europe slave traders, acquire most of their slaves?
European slave traders acquired most of their slaves through various means, including:
1. Capture during warfare: Many slaves were captured during conflicts and wars between African tribes and kingdoms, and then sold to European slave traders.
2. Raiding villages: European slave traders would often raid African villages and capture individuals to be sold as slaves.
3. Kidnapping: Some individuals were kidnapped and forced into slavery by European slave traders.
4. Debt bondage: In some cases, individuals would be enslaved as a result of unpaid debts or as punishment for crimes.
5. Barbados Slave Codes: Introduced in 1661, these laws were used to enslave Africans on the island and set the precedent for future slave codes in British America.
6. African slave traders: Some European slave traders would purchase enslaved individuals from African slave traders who had captured or enslaved them.
These methods resulted in the brutal and inhumane treatment of countless Africans who were forced into slavery and transported across the Atlantic to the Americas.