Actually this is an accurate observation......in general....the slave trade was a collaborative venture between Africans and Europeans.  In some Africal tribes, a twin would be done away with....being sold into slavery was a profitable way of dealing with it.   Some were prisoners of war......or... there were many ways to become a slave. 

I think the way these black African slaves were treated was unique.  As a more easily identified group, they were easier to target.  Any group that was easy to identify as "another" was treated in a similar manner....but the difference is the brutality of the treatment of those enslaved.  It was unique in it´s cruelty.  Those black humans were dehumanized, treated like animals or worse.  It´s hard to determine how many in the International community profited from their labor...even today....labor that was unpaid and done with  great suffering.

Read the story of  Solomon Northrup......

I think it all boils down to the fact that humans are in essense a social animal...aka...a pack, flock or herd animal.  It boils down to "us and them"......who is a member.."in good standing"....of the pack? Large flocks get winnowed down...to many smaller...more manageable ones.

You missed out the fact that the majority of slaves were neither sold by their own tribes or prisoners of war, but were merely taken.

The europeans may have started that horrible trade, but the fact is that despite independence, for hundreds of years segregation, oppression and racism were the "norm" in the US.  Unfortunately, the mentality still exists in some redneck quarters...

See how the heroic US Navy was fighting the pirates of Barbary Coast.

This subject is the best example I have seen of how history was warped in favor of certain nations who are now out to bring democracy, equality, freedom and brotherhood to others.

http://history1800s.about.com/od/americanwars/tp/barbarywars.htm

Read the page above; it is a disgrace as far as honest historians are concerned. What was actually happening in those days was that the Barbary Coast sailors (Moroccan, Tunusian, Algerian backed by Ottomans) were trying to fight off the American slave running ships operating between Africa and United States, and the US Navy was hard at work protecting her honest traders (!).

l

I dont think there is anything unique about being fed propaganda in school history lessons.  Each country feels they are immune to it!  I spent most of my adult life discovering that the "history" I was taught in schools was actually very biased and not always completely factual!!  

It is the job of "youth" to question authority and question establishment.  Unfortunately in the past few decades "youth" seem to be apathetic to truths and are more interested in the me culture.  The only student uprising we are likely to get is if they tried to ban mobile phones!

I never said it was surprising; I did mean it was disgusting.

Sigh.....me too....what a shock it was to find out the beautiful story was not true! +++

I´m sure you are aware of this story...

Somalia Piracy Began in Response to Illegal Fishing and Toxic Dumping by Western Ships off Somali

That does give another dimension to the issue....

+1

 Interesting how a story can radically alter when a previously omitted fact emerges...

After a recent visit to Turkey, I have met and fallen for a turkish man.  But I don´t know what is expected of me, whether a relationship with an english girl, is ok?  or bad?   Also, I seem to be getting a lot of stick back home from people who read the magazines about turkish men just wanting english passports.... Help x

I am reposting the original post as the whole thread has become totally irrelevant. 

But the resulting discussion was far more interesting than the original post, which lets face it had been answered here

OMG, I thought you needed advice for yourself LL!