Final answer:
The claim that slavery did not exist in Africa until European contact in the 15th century is false; various forms of slavery were already present in African societies. (option b)
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that slavery did not exist in Africa until European contact in the 15th century C.E. is false. Slavery was already an established institution in Africa long before European involvement. African civilizations, similar to many other ancient societies, practiced forms of human bondage. Slaves were often captives from wars or people who entered servitude to escape famine or seek protection. It is important to realize that African slavery was different from the transatlantic slave trade that began in the 15th century, which forcibly transported approximately 12 million Africans across the Atlantic, and it was further compounded by European racist ideologies that justified slavery on the basis of race and economic exploitation.
European encounters with African slavery did not introduce the concept, but they dramatically altered its scale and nature. The European slave traders utilized the existing African power dynamics, often buying slaves from African rulers and other intermediaries.
However, the violence and disruption brought on by the transatlantic slave trade had profound impacts on African societies, far more severe than the indigenous systems of servitude.