The African slave trade antedates the European discovery of the Americas. At the time there was also a white slave trade in many European countries (slaves who were white European christians, not protitution). Undoubtably there was some trade in Africans to the New World before the formal trade got going. The first blacks brought to Virginia, as a speculation by a shipmaster, were sold at endenturement, for the standard seven years. One of them was later a slave owner... The terminus post quem for slaves in the present day US would be the first settlement. In the Latin American regions, 1492. That's for the possbility of individually owned slaves. The formal trade took a bit longer to get going. Native americans were also enslaved in various places at various times. Not, actually, in the south. Some Native Americans in the south owned black slaves, and lacked the lilywhite reluctance to free and marry a woman they'd gotten a child on. Also they often freed slaves who were then considered members of the tribe and often married into it. Fugitive slaves often sought refuge with the Native Americans, and some married into the tribes. And after the end of slavery, some blacks married into some tribes. The attitude on that varied, with different tribes, from total welcome to declaring the NA partner dead to the tribe. Remember that Native Americans varied (and still vary) as much in attitudes as European nations. And it's surprising how many Old Southern families have turned out to carry the sickle cell recessive. It's amazing how genes will slop around no matter what you try to do. Will -- Dr. William L. Pratt, Curator of Invertebrates Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History University of Nevada, Las Vegas Box 454009 Las Vegas, NV 89154-4009 (702)895-1403, fax (702)895-3094 e-mail prattw@nevada.edu ------------------------------ ------------------------------