In fact we see that it states only a general viewpoint on the situation of slavery throughout the four hundred years of the "black slavery". If we explore the site on a deeper level we find that it also states some objective observations separating the "positive" and "negative" sides to the issues involved in the building up of the trade. However, the accounts of Willem Bosman in his book A New and Accurate Description of the coast of Guinea, Divided into the Gold, the Slave, and the Ivory Coast, 1705 give a different opinion on the foremost statement. He writes that the Slave Trade was not motivated by race or origin, but by business. The trade was thought of just as any other business at the time. The same way you would look at the trade of Ivory, Gold or Cloth. This is shown by the way a tradesman had to deal with the area King.
An extract from Bosman shows exactly that it is not at all like the BBC sustains, in fact he proves the opposite.
"The first business of one of our factors [agents] when he comes to Fida [Whydah] is to satisfy the customs of the king and the great men, which amounts to about a hundred pounds in Guinea value, as the goods must yield there. After which is published throughout the whole land by the crier.".
"But yet before we can deal with any person, we are obligated to buy the king's whole stock of slaves, at a set price For you ought to be informed, that markets of men are kept in the same manner as those of beast with us.".
"Not a few in our country fondly imagine that parents here sell their children, men their wives, and one brother the other. But those who think so, do deceive themselves; for this never happens on any other account but are offered to us, are prisoners of war, which are sold by the victors as their booty" (Bosman).
While we continue to follow Bosman, we can see clearly that the local people here are involved as traders and businessmen, and not as innocent bystanders.
