Hello all, yes in response to this discussion...I too have also read that the Portuguese are the ones who started Europes involvement, under the order of Prince Henry. I did not record the book I got this from but in my notes I wrote word for word what it said... "In 1441 it was realized that sea voyages were costly and lavish with no prospect of immediate economic return. Antao Goncalves, under orders of Prince Henry traveled to Africa and returned with a dozen slaves. This marks the beginning of Europe's involvement in African slaves. In 1444, 235 slaves were brought to Lagos for trading."
> > I'm afraid not; unfortunately the Portuguese were not merely the pilots of > the ships. Although the Portuguese did not invent slavery (slavery was already > in practice among the different tribes in Africa when the Portuguese got > there) > the Portuguese were the grand masters of the slave trade, introducing and > providing slaves into Europe and then into North and South America. Slavery > was > one of Prince Henry's significant sources of income. Once Portugal developed > the trade in human bodies into a lucrative enterprise, other European powers > got > into the act. But the Portuguese were the masters and led the way. Anyone > interested in further research should read Prince Henry 'the Navigator': A > Life > by Peter Russell, Yale University Press, New Haven: 2000 (447pp.) Melville's > Don Benito Sereno (I'm not sure I have the spelling right) although a work of > fiction, also illustrates this point. > > John Miranda Raposo --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Follow the confirmation directions when they arrive. For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
