The subject of slavery is SO misunderstood, and misrepresented.

I saw another thread where someone was talking about slavery.

But most people are kinda clueless about the history in America -- ESPECIALLY today's black community.

In the beginning ... THERE WAS NO SLAVERY.

A BLACK MAN ... MADE SLAVERY HAPPEN IN AMERICA.

The idea of the White man running through the African jungle to hunt down "Kunta Kinte" is nonsense. It might spark emotions on TV, but it never happened.

BLACKS CAPTURED AND SOLD BLACKS FOR PROFIT.

There was no other way to run the African slave trade.

BUT ...

It was NOT "SLAVERY" ... in the beginning.

The first British colonies in America were the early 1600's. Those Europeans who could afford the passage on a ship paid their dues, and came to America.

Others -- White Europeans -- who could not afford it but wanted a better life or just a new adventure, would come along on a ship as an INDENTURED SERVANT.

This was a VOLUNTARY act. They would arrive and be "sold" as an indentured servant for a term of 4 to 7 years. This was the term of such a legal contract under British law in the 1600's.

During that time, they would work on the plantation (or wherever) and receive only room and board. Their labor was the price they paid to pay off their contract -- the cost of passage.

Once their contract term was up, they were free and could live as any other free person. This was for White Europeans.

At the same time, the African slave trade was going on in other parts of the world.

The black Africans would kidnap their fellow black Africans and sell them for gold, trinkets, whatever.

The ones who were shipped to America were shipped (again, talking about the early 1600's here) as indentured servants. This included the black Africans who had been kidnapped by their fellow black Africans.

Once they paid off their contracts, they became free, as well.

BUT IT WAS A BLACK AFRICAN WHO TURNED IT INTO PERMANENT SLAVERY.

Enter "Antonio." He was a black African born in Angola, a colony of Portugal. BTW, Portugal was the #1 slave trading country in the world, with the largest number of slaves going to Brazil -- 97% of the African slave trade was NOT to the USA.

In America, the laws were British. It was THE LAW that these people brought to America (white or black) were indentured servants, if they couldn't afford to pay their passage as a regular free person would. Even if they had been kidnapped and brought unwillingly, it was still an indentured servitude status.

"Antonio" was kidnapped in Angola and shipped to Virginia. He was an indentured servant (not a slave). He paid off his contract, and thereafter became a "free black" in Virginia. Remember: This was BEFORE 1776.

A band of Indians raided the plantation where he lived and killed most of the people.

"Antonio" survived and changed his name to Anthony Johnson.

He became a tobacco farmer and gained some wealth. He owned 250 acres of farmland, and had black indentured servants of his own working on his tobacco farm.

One of them was John Casar. Casar worked on Johnson's farm for 20 years.

Johnson's neighbor, Robert Parker, told Casar that his indentured servitude contract could not legally last more than 7 years (neither Casar or Johnson could read).

Parker invited Casar to come work for Parker under a new contract, and after a few years, Casar would be free. Casar agreed, and left Johnson's farm.

Johnson was pissed at Parker for doing this, so Johnson filed a lawsuit against Parker for interfering with his property (Casar).

The British court in Virginia ruled in 1655 that Casar could be held FOREVER, thus making him a slave, not just an indentured servant.

THIS ... was the official beginning of slavery in America.

After Anthony Johnson FOUGHT FOR SLAVERY, the captured Africans brought to British America were now slaves, not indentured servant, and held as slaves for life.

A. BLACK. MAN. CREATED. SLAVERY. IN. AMERICA.

Surprisingly, Wiki is honest about this story:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Johnson_(colonist)