Final answer:
Slavery in medieval Europe was isolated and primarily targeted specific groups of people. Enslaved people had the opportunity for freedom and social mobility. The trade of enslaved people was important in various parts of Europe.
Step-by-step explanation:
Slavery in medieval Europe was mostly isolated in the southern fringes of the Mediterranean, and it was not widespread. The Iberian Christians primarily enslaved Muslims, Jews, Gypsies, and Slavs. However, the transatlantic slave trade in Africans began in 1441, and Europeans created an emergent understanding of "race" and racial difference from their participation in this trade.
Enslaved people in Europe had the possibility of gaining their freedom and achieving social mobility, unlike in the Americas where slavery was codified. They could work in various positions such as the elite bodyguard of the Holy Roman Emperor or gondoliers in Venice.
While the demand for enslaved labor was less in Europe compared to the economically-developed Muslim world, some European slaves served owners in the fiefdoms of western Europe. The trade of enslaved people, especially from eastern Europe, had been important in many parts of the continent, including the Ottoman Empire, the Islamic empires, the Vikings, and the Frankish kings.