A: They believed it was the only was to get to the after life
Europeans needed new trade routes in the second half of the 15th century because
Muslim expansion in North Africa and the fall of Constantinople hammered trade
President John Quincy Adams
He bought and sold slaves and then lamented the degrading impact of slavery on white morals. He lived beyond his means, indulged himself in imported wines and furniture, and then sold away slaves to cover his debts while celebrating the moral clarity.