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Most ancient civilizations, including Greece and Rome, practiced slavery on a large scale.   

Most ancient civilizations, including Greece and Rome, practiced slavery on a large scale.   

Slavery has its roots deep in humanity's pagan past, in humanity's fallen, self-centered nature.  According to the Bible, God created humankind free, giving them the dignity of choice.  Yet slavery is found earlier than the time of Abraham (about 2,000 B.C.)  In the Garden of Eden, according to the Bible, God gave Adam the blessing of work even before the Fall.  That work became harder after our first parents rebelled against their Creator.<ref>The Holy Bible, Genesis 3:17-19</ref></ref> Heathen nations despised manual labor, and consigned it to slaves<ref>Lorella Rouster, The History of Slavery, ECM Publ, 2011, 1</ref>

Slavery has its roots deep in humanity's pagan past, in humanity's fallen, self-centered nature.  According to the Bible, God created humankind free, giving them the dignity of choice.  Yet slavery is found earlier than the time of Abraham (about 2,000 B.C.)  In the Garden of Eden, according to the Bible, God gave Adam the blessing of work even before the Fall.  That work became harder after our first parents rebelled against their Creator.<ref>The Holy Bible, Genesis 3:17-19</ref> Heathen nations despised manual labor, and consigned it to slaves<ref>Lorella Rouster, The History of Slavery, ECM Publ, 2011, 1</ref>

All early civilizations were built on slave labor—Mesopotamia, Babylon, Eqypt, Greece, Rome, and the big civilizations of Central America.<ref>Rouster, p. 2</ref> Milton Meltzer's book, Slavery, A World History, is filled with pictures of ancient carvings, paintings and other artifacts clearly picturing slavery.<ref>Milton Meltzer, Slavery, a World History</ref> Historian Kenneth Scott LaTourette said, "Slavery was a characteristic feature of the social and economic organization of the ancient world."<ref>LaTourette, A History of the Expansion of Christianity, Vol. I, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1939, 1967, p. 26</ref>

All early civilizations were built on slave labor—Mesopotamia, Babylon, Eqypt, Greece, Rome, and the big civilizations of Central America.<ref>Rouster, p. 2</ref> Milton Meltzer's book, Slavery, A World History, is filled with pictures of ancient carvings, paintings and other artifacts clearly picturing slavery.<ref>Milton Meltzer, Slavery, a World History</ref> Historian Kenneth Scott LaTourette said, "Slavery was a characteristic feature of the social and economic organization of the ancient world."<ref>LaTourette, A History of the Expansion of Christianity, Vol. I, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1939, 1967, p. 26</ref>

Christianity was born into a world that was overwhelmed with slavery, with Rome, the dominant world power in the time of Jesus, utterly dependent on slave labor.  The life and teachings of Jesus and His followers, described in the New Testament, while not forbidding slavery nor organizing any campaign against it, struck at the very roots of slavery, drying up its power much as herbicides work on killing stubborn weeds from the roots up.<ref>Rouster, History of Slavery, p.6.</ref>

Christianity was born into a world that was overwhelmed with slavery, with Rome, the dominant world power in the time of Jesus, utterly dependent on slave labor.  The life and teachings of Jesus and His followers, described in the New Testament, while not forbidding slavery nor organizing any campaign against it, struck at the very roots of slavery, drying up its power much as herbicides work on killing stubborn weeds from the roots up.<ref>Rouster, History of Slavery, p.6.</ref>

Jesus dignified labor by working as a carpenter.  He took the form of a servant.  He washed the disciples' feet.  He commanded us to love our neighbors and do good to our enemies.  He had a habit of calling people back to the beginning of things, and in the beginning God created people free.  Christianity promoted the equality of its members, accepting slave and slavemaster as equal brothers and sisters serving side by side in the church (Galatians 3:28).  Christianity, like Judaism before it, taught that God gave humankind the dignity to choose for ourselves.  That is possible only in liberty and not in slavery.  These influences worked quietly at first, for Christians were not a world power or even a majority.  Most had no political power, and they lived in a totalitarian system.  Yet because of the Christian emphasis on love and mercy, slavery was soon rid of most of its extreme features of cruelty.  In early Christian writings, there was an emphasis on being free in spirit to serve Christ even if one's station in life was as a slave.  Ambrose wrote that the slave "might be superior in character to his master and might be more truly free" (LaTourette, p.&nbsp;622.

Jesus dignified labor by working as a carpenter.  He took the form of a servant.  He washed the disciples' feet.  He commanded us to love our neighbors and do good to our enemies.  He had a habit of calling people back to the beginning of things, and in the beginning God created people free.  Christianity promoted the equality of its members, accepting slave and slavemaster as equal brothers and sisters serving side by side in the church (Galatians 3:28).  Christianity, like Judaism before it, taught that God gave humankind the dignity to choose for ourselves.  That is possible only in liberty and not in slavery.  These influences worked quietly at first, for Christians were not a world power or even a majority.  Most had no political power, and they lived in a totalitarian system.  Yet because of the Christian emphasis on love and mercy, slavery was soon rid of most of its extreme features of cruelty.  In early Christian writings, there was an emphasis on being free in spirit to serve Christ even if one's station in life was as a slave.  Ambrose wrote that the slave "might be superior in character to his master and might be more truly free" (LaTourette, p.&nbsp;622).

However, in the second and third centuries after Christ, as wealthy Romans began to be converted to Christiantiy, tens of thousands of slaves were freed by converts.  Melania freed 8,000, Ovidus 5,000, Chromatius 1400, Hermes 1200.<ref>Shmidt, p. 274, from W.E. H. Lecky, History of European Morals, 1911</ref>  Converted out of a decadent, totally self-absorbed society, many Christians sold their goods and lands and used the proceeds to help the poor, support hospitals, take in orphans, free prisoners, and free slaves.  Liberation was frequent, especially on Easter and other special days of the church.  Church law from the early centuries allowed for liberation (called manumission) of slaves during church services.<ref>CAnnon LIIIV, The African Code CAnons, aslo called the Canons of he Fathers Assembled at Carthage, 419 A.D.</ref><ref>The Canons of the Council in Tuillo (also called the Quinisext Council, 692 A.D..</ref> Freeing slaves took great conviction and courage, for the Roman emperors issued edicts unfavorable to the practice.  Clement said in his Epistle to the Corinthians no 55, "Some Christians surrendered their own freedom to liberate others."<ref>Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor, Book III, Chapter IV</ref>

However, in the second and third centuries after Christ, as wealthy Romans began to be converted to Christiantiy, tens of thousands of slaves were freed by converts.  Melania freed 8,000, Ovidus 5,000, Chromatius 1400, Hermes 1200.<ref>Shmidt, p. 274, from W.E. H. Lecky, History of European Morals, 1911</ref>  Converted out of a decadent, totally self-absorbed society, many Christians sold their goods and lands and used the proceeds to help the poor, support hospitals, take in orphans, free prisoners, and free slaves.  Liberation was frequent, especially on Easter and other special days of the church.  Church law from the early centuries allowed for liberation (called manumission) of slaves during church services.<ref>CAnnon LIIIV, The African Code CAnons, aslo called the Canons of he Fathers Assembled at Carthage, 419 A.D.</ref><ref>The Canons of the Council in Tuillo (also called the Quinisext Council, 692 A.D..</ref> Freeing slaves took great conviction and courage, for the Roman emperors issued edicts unfavorable to the practice.  Clement said in his Epistle to the Corinthians no 55, "Some Christians surrendered their own freedom to liberate others."<ref>Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor, Book III, Chapter IV</ref>

Islamic slavery had very high death rates.  It is estimated that 80% died on the long, harsh march through the Sahara.  

Islamic slavery had very high death rates.  It is estimated that 80% died on the long, harsh march through the Sahara.  

Castration was a very dominant feature of the Islamic slave trade.  Specific cities in the Sahara were given to this practice as the Islamic caravans passed through.  Such "eunuchs" brought the highest prices, purchased by rich Arab kings and princes as security agents for large harems.  It is estimated that 70 to 90% perished in the ordeal of castration.<ref>http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20120413180645205 University World News, ''Scholars Focus on Arab Trans-Saharan Slave Trade''</ref> Castration centers developed in the Mossi country; Damagaram in Niger; Borno in northeastern Nigeria; Kumasi in Ashantiland now Ghana; Kano, Nigeria (the largest—early British administrators wrote frequently about it); and Baguimi (also spelled Aaghirmi, in Chad Republic & along the Nigerian border—the best known).  Some African kings were already practicing castration of their enemies, but the Islamic slave trade institutionalized it.  This, along with the fact that any children born to slave women were usually killed at birth, is the reason there are few descendants of these slaves and little African diaspora in Arab Islamic lands.<ref>http://forums.eunuch.org/showthread.php?10192-Ottoman-Eunuchs</ref><ref>http://patachu.com/slavery-trans-Saharan-trade/</ref> Some early sources of direct evidence of the Islamic slave trade were al-Yakub, a 9th century Arab writer; Ibn Battuta, a 12th century eyewitness; Mansa Museh, 1324, and Leo Africanus, 1494-1554.

Castration was a very dominant feature of the Islamic slave trade.  Specific cities in the Sahara were given to this practice as the Islamic caravans passed through.  Such "eunuchs" brought the highest prices, purchased by rich Arab kings and princes as security agents for large harems.  It is estimated that 70 to 90% perished in the ordeal of castration.<ref>http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20120413180645205 University World News, ''Scholars Focus on Arab Trans-Saharan Slave Trade''</ref> Castration centers developed in the Mossi country; Damagaram in Niger; Borno in northeastern Nigeria; Kumasi in Ashantiland now Ghana; Kano, Nigeria (the largest—early British administrators wrote frequently about it); and Baguimi (also spelled Aaghirmi, in Chad Republic & along the Nigerian border—the best known).  Some African kings were already practicing castration of their enemies, but the Islamic slave trade institutionalized it.  This, along with the fact that any children born to slave women were usually killed at birth, is the reason there are few descendants of these slaves and little African diaspora in Arab Islamic lands.<ref>http://forums.eunuch.org/showthread.php?10192-Ottoman-Eunuchs</ref><ref>http://patachu.com/slavery-trans-Saharan-trade/</ref> Some early sources of direct evidence of the Islamic slave trade were al-Yakub, a 9th-century Arab writer; Ibn Battuta, a 12th-century eyewitness; Mansa Museh, 1324, and Leo Africanus, 1494-1554.

== The Transatlantic Slave Trade ==

== The Transatlantic Slave Trade ==