Although both institutions readily compromised with capitalist interests and strove to develop a working alliance with them, neither the Crown nor the Church in Spain and Portugal had ever been taken over by the commercial interests.
Both Spain and Portugal had had continuous contact with slavery extending back into ancient times.

Roman law as well as the Church fathers had concerned themselves with it, and these concepts had been incorporated into Spanish and Portuguese law.

Also, slaves continued to exist in both countries down to modern times.

Therefore, when Portugal began importing slaves from West Africa in the fifteenth century, the institution of slavery was already in existence.

Before long, significant numbers of African slaves were to be found in both Portugal and Spain.