It might surprise a lot of people to know that slavery has been practiced all over the world for thousands of years. Race was not the determining factor, as slaves were regularly made of all colors of captured humans.
Roman armies brought conquered peoples, including whites from northern Europe, to parade through Rome's streets and be sold for private use or the military (think Ben Hur). Plato, the ancient Greek, was at one time a slave.
Slave trading was an economic force in the Middle East, with big markets in Istanbul, Cairo, Baghdad. Barbary pirates of North Africa captured thousands, including American citizens. Indians of both North and South America kept slaves, as did the Chinese.
Black tribes of Africa made slaves of their conquests. Some on the interior made raids in order to sell their captives to traders on the coast. Others went to the Middle East markets.
from The History of Slavery You Probably Weren't Taught in School
(cont'd tomorrow)