In addition to D. Harvey's and N. Burlakoff's excellent points, it should also be observed that, even in the English colonies, Native Americans were enslaved before Africans were transported here. Plus, during four centuries of American slavery, the enslaved population (even considering just the African-derived part) increased in cultural complexity: combining recently- transported Africans (of various nations), American- born descendants of previously transported Africans, local variation in the assimilation of regionally- variable colonial culture, &c. This is why terminology is important, and not just "PC newspeak": it makes us remember that history (and now) is much more complex than the simple concepts we have come to associate with words like "slave," "African," and "American." L. Johnson --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).