incorrect. Slavery was caused by economic conditions, and it was slavery that caused racism, not the other way round.

– The economic conditions that caused slavery had to do with colonisation. Britain, France, Spain and Portugal (countries that had been at war with each-other on and off for centuries) were in a race to take over territory in the Americas – not only because they wanted the wealth that the new territories would bring, but also because if they didn’t take over a particular territory their enemies would get it instead.

– Some of the European powers attempted to divide up the Americas between them through negotiated treaties, but this didn’t work. The treaties were ignored and colonisation was a free-for-all; if you could occupy a territory, set up a colony, and defend it against your enemies, then that territory was yours.

– In the early days of colonisation black slaves worked alongside enslaved Native Americans, Chinese coolies, and white indentured labourers. The black slaves were not particularly looked down on more than any of these other unfree labourers; if anything it was the Irish who were particularly despised.

– The British knew that slavery was wrong, but they thought it was justified by the greater good of building up the British Empire. They believed that they were spreading civilization and Christianity around the world. They also believed in mercantilism, an economic doctrine which held that increased economic activity would bring a better life for all.

– Economic development of the colonies in the Americas was based on agriculture. Landowners preferred free workers to slaves, even though they had to pay them, because free workers would use their own creativity and ingenuity to get the job done as efficiently as possible, whereas slaves did the minimum work they could get away with, had to be constantly supervised, and