[jcranmer]

> (not that the British and French were any better; they just imported their slaves from elsewhere).

I should point out that the Spanish also imported slaves from Africa in prodigious quantities. However, instead of doing it themselves, the Spanish crown let out a single contract for who would be the sole importer of slaves into the American colonies (the asiento)--and all of the major maritime powers of Europe were vying to win that contract at various points in time.