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1520

The circumnavigation expedition of Ferdinand Magellan sets out from San Lucar de Barameda.

1519

The circumnavigation expedition of Ferdinand Magellan sets out from San Lucar de Barameda.

1518

Charles V grants his Flemish courtier Lorenzo de Gorrevod permission to import 4000 African slaves into New Spain. From this point onwards thousands of slaves are sent to the New World each year.

1516

Sir Thomas More in his book Utopia argues that his ideal society would have slaves, but they would not be ‘non-combatant prisoners-of-war, slaves by birth, or purchases from foreign slave markets.’

1510

King Ferdinand of Spain authorizes a shipment of 50 African slaves to be sent to Santo Domingo, which starts the systematic transportation of African slaves to the New World.

1509

Columbus’s son, Diego Cólon, becomes governor of the new Spanish empire in the Caribbean. He soon complains that Native American slaves do not work hard enough.

1505

More than 200 slaves taken from the northern coast of South America by Amerigo Vespucci and Alonso de Hojeda and sold in Cádiz.

1504

A small group of Africans are brought to the court of King James IV of Scotland.

1503

Spanish and Portuguese bring African slaves to the Caribbean and Central America to replace Native Americans in the gold mines.

1502

More than 200 slaves taken from the northern coast of South America by Amerigo Vespucci and Alonso de Hojeda and sold in Cádiz.

1501

More than 200 slaves taken from the northern coast of South America by Amerigo Vespucci and Alonso de Hojeda and sold in Cádiz.

1499

More than 200 slaves taken from the northern coast of South America by Amerigo Vespucci and Alonso de Hojeda and sold in Cádiz.

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