Final answer:
The main reasons people used to justify slavery were racism, economic necessity, and religious interpretations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main reason people used to justify slavery was the belief in racial superiority and the idea that certain races were inherently inferior to others. This was known as racism and it was used to justify the enslavement of African people during the Atlantic slave trade. Slave owners and proponents of slavery argued that African people were less intelligent, less civilized, and better suited for hard labor, therefore justifying their enslavement.
Another justification used for slavery was economic necessity. Slavery was seen as crucial for the prosperity and development of the economy, particularly in agricultural regions where large-scale labor was needed on plantations. Slaves were considered as property and their forced labor was seen as a means to generate wealth for the slaveholders and the wider society.
Additionally, some people justified slavery on the basis of religious and biblical interpretations. They claimed that slavery was consistent with certain passages in the Bible that mentioned the existence of slavery at the time. These arguments were often used to maintain the status quo and resist calls for abolition.
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