The Human Market The Slave Trade Neither slavery nor the slave trade came to West Africa with the arrival of the Portuguese in the middle of the fifteenth century.

To the contrary, both institutions had a very long history.

A two-way slave trade had existed between the West Africans and the Arabs for centuries.
In view of the social structure of both societies, sociologists believe that the Arabs could make use of more slaves than could the West Africans.

Therefore, West Africa probably exported more slaves than it imported.
Slaves, besides being common laborers, were often men of considerable skill and learning, Slavery was not a badge of human inferiority.

Thus, the first slaves procured by the Europeans from Africa were displayed as curiosities and as proof of affluence.