Slavery existed in Africa before the arrival of white people. Slaves were servants, farmers and soldiers. However, there were differences between African and American slavery:

• African states did not depend on slave labour. American plantations could not have grown as they did without slavery.
• Chattel slavery was practiced in the Americas but not in Africa. A chattel slave is a person owned and treated as a piece of property. He or she can be bought and sold, has no legal rights and can be forced to work under any conditions without payment.
• African slavery had nothing to do with race and it was often understood that the period of slavery would be temporary. White slave owners developed racist laws and encouraged racist attitudes to justify enslaving Africans.