1860 BC

History is so ingrained into human civilization that it even predates written records. Initially, slavery was inflicted primarily on those in debt, prisoners of war, and other vulnerable people. In the mid 14th century, race-based slavery grew in prominence, and the African American slaves exploited in the American colonies would be one example of this slavery. The Mesopotamian Code Of Hammurabi was a compilation of laws from the time and region on various aspects. The code has ample mentions of slaves, implying that they were important to Mesopotamian culture at the time. This is one of the first mentions of slavery in written record.