Well they didn't usually. People taken for the slave trade were from unorganized tribal villages on the African coast, easy pickings for slave traders. The people were simply forcibly abducted, then taken to market overseas to be sold. Although, now I'm wondering why after a couple of years of this the people just didn't move inland! Maybe they did...
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The African rulers sold their own people into slavery primarily for profit and to gain power. They may have also participated in the slave trade due to intertribal conflicts, expansion of empires, or to secure trade relationships with European powers.
Yes, some African societies participated in the slave trade by capturing and selling individuals from rival groups. However, it is important to note that the African slave trade was complex and involved various actors, including European slave traders who exploited existing local conflicts to profit from the trade.
Slavery in Africa before European involvement was less racially based and more tied to social, economic, and political factors. It was often a way to integrate outsiders into societies, settle debts, or as a form of punishment. It had a more fluid nature, with slaves sometimes able to rise in status or be freed.
Thomas Hunt kidnapped Squanto in 1614 to sell him into slavery in Spain. He saw Squanto as a valuable commodity due to his knowledge of the English language and the New World. Hunt's actions were motivated by greed and a desire for profit.
Africans were made to be slaves through a combination of factors such as capture during wars, raids, and expeditions; trading by African rulers and European slave traders; and the development of the transatlantic slave trade by European colonial powers. Slavery was justified through the dehumanization of Africans and the creation of racial hierarchies that portrayed them as inferior.
African slave trade has been abolished and is illegal worldwide. It is unethical, inhumane, and against human rights to buy or sell human beings. Any form of modern-day slavery should be reported to the authorities for legal action.