B2715thand16th

Black Slaves Imported__** The demographic structure of Europe was changed when large numbers of black slaves from Africa were brought into Europe beginning in the 15th century. Before this, Slavs had been the traditional slaves, but many of them had died out during the Black Death, so there were not enough. They were imported, about a thousand a year, by Portuguese explorers, who sold them in the markets of Seville, Barcelona, Marseilles, and Genoa. Some black slaves eventually became free, and earned many social positions. They took on many jobs and became famous for music. By the mid-16th century, both slave and free blacks made up about 10 percent of the populations of Portuguese cities of Lisbon and Evora. But other cities had smaller percentages, and overall, blacks made up about 3 percent of the Portuguese population
 * __Changes in the demographic structure and reproductive patterns of Europeans: causes and consequences.

McKay, John P. History of Western society. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003.