Back to Show
Origin of Everything
Why Did Europeans Enslave Africans?
Season 1
Episode 38
Why were most slaves in America from West Africa? Slavery has existed throughout history in various forms across the globe, but who became enslaved was almost always based on military conquest. So why did Europeans travel thousands of miles to enslave people from a particular geographic region? Watch the episode to find out.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.

11:11
How did money come to be such a driving force of modern life?

8:54
Why do all strip malls look the same, even across different states?

7:27
Why do women shave their legs and armpit hair, but men don’t?

9:17
The history of birth control is very long and very odd.

6:59
Why do Americans no longer use the word “Oriental”?

5:53
For nearly 100 years it was illegal to be “ugly.” How did we put an end to this?

4:18
How did we get the name “Jesus”? And is “Christ” a last name?

6:03
Why did “GAY” stop meaning “happy” and start referring “same sex relationships?

9:08
Do standardized test help or harm students?

6:27
For much of their history high heels were seen as a marker of an epic masculinity.

9:28
We dive into the Supreme Court cases that shaped our understanding of the 2nd amendment.

9:06
Where does the idea that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day come from?