slave traders brought slaves to ship side in exchange for European trinkets. Most of the leading European nations were involved with the slave trade, especially after the discovery of America and the establishment of Spanish colonies in the West Indies, which greatly increased the demand for slaves. Nigeria became known as the Slave Coast until the middle of the nineteenth century. Characteristics traceable to Yoruba culture have been found in communities of African descent in Brazil, Cuba and in the West Indies. Also, many of the Creoles of Freetown, Sierra Leone, are descendants of early Yoruba freed slaves. Even after the British supposedly abolished slavery in 1807, slavery just stopped becoming an export for them and turned into forced labor to work for cultivating groundnuts, palm oil and ivory. Also, during this abolishment is when the Portuguese came back to pick up where the British left off. During the 400 years that the population was being depleted and controlled by Britain, Europe had gone through its agricultural, industrial and intellectual revolutions. Not only were Europeans interested in the cash value of Africans, but they also wanted their souls. Missionaries, unlike traders, did not just stick to port towns, rail and river lines or commercial centers. They went out of their way to penetrate the most remote parts of Nigerias interior. Catholic Missionaries arrived in Benin, which is right next to Nigeria, in 1516 and were there until 1688 but their efforts failed to make a lasting impression. In 1841 missionaries tried again and eventually became successful with many Yoruba people and especially with the Ibo and peoples in the middle belt. It must have been a miracle they were even slightly successful. The preconditions in order to convert go against so many aspects of traditional life. They had to abandon dance, marriage dowry, polygamy, secret societies, ancestor worship, shamanism, semi-nudity, Af...
