@salopianhistorian: Portugal began the first European slave raids in West Africa in the 1440s. Portuguese captains like Lancarote de Freitas attacked African villages, captured families, and brought hundreds of enslaved people back to Lagos. The papal bull Romanus Pontifex in 1455 gave Portugal religious approval to capture non Christians and claim their lands. These early raids created the first Atlantic slave trade network and reshaped African warfare, politics, and economies. This is how Portugal sparked the system that would define the next four centuries. #History #portugal🇵🇹 #africa #slavery