15th Century

Confirmation of Liberties (English law) confirmed peace and justice for all people in the realm.

Confirmation of Charters and Statutes (English law) extended the King’s law and rights in any patents and letters presented.

Confirmation of Liberties reaffirmed that common laws cannot subjugate or repeal English law in the limitation or denial of subjects, cities, and boroughs rights to liberty and freedom.

The Portuguese captains Antão Gonçalves and Nuno Tristão captured 12 Africans in Cabo Branco (modern Mauritania) and take them to Portugal as slaves.

Antam Goncalves sailed back to Cape Bianco, then returned with more gold dust and ten black Africans. The following year, Portuguese explorers returned from Africa with nearly thirty slaves.

Lançarote de Freitas, a tax-collector from the Portuguese town of Lagos, forms a company to trade with Africa and kidnapped and enslaved 235 Africans in Lagos, the first large group of African slaves brought to Europe.

Sugar is first planted in the Portuguese island of Madeira and, for the first time, African slaves are put to work on the sugar plantations.

Pope Nicholas V issues Dum Diversas, a bill authorizing the Portuguese to reduce any non-Christians to the status of slaves.

Spanish traders begin to bring slaves from Africa to Spain.

Pope Nicholas V issues Romanus Pontifex, a bull granting the Portuguese a perpetual monopoly in trade with Africa.

The first of the Portuguese trading forts, the castle at Arguin (modern Mauritania), is completed.

The Portuguese colony on the Cape Verde Islands is founded, an important way-station in the slave trade.

Portuguese slave traders start to operate in Seville, Spain.

Despite Papal opposition, Spanish merchants begin to trade in large numbers of slaves in the 1470s.

Portuguese negotiate the first slave trade agreement that also includes gold and ivory. By the end of the 19th Century, over 11 million Africans would arrive in the Americas.

Carlos de Valera of Castille in Spain brings back 400 slaves from Africa.

A Portuguese embassy to the court of King Edward IV of England concludes with the English government agreeing not to enter the slave trade, against the wishes of many English traders.

Diogo da Azambuja builds the castle at Elmina (modern Ghana) which was to become the most substantial and the most notorious slave-trading forts in West Africa.

The Act 11 of Henry IIV (English law) stated that any persons, whosoever he or they be, serve the King in time of war within or without the land shall not be convicted of any crime or forfeit life or possession. Further, no act or law codified afterwards would be utterly void against these persons.