[liberallarry]

it's in the U.S. that large sectors of the population would start condemning slavery, contrary to the indifference that Muslims and Europeans always showed for it

England outlawed slavery in 1800.

[Cicero]

Very true. But England was not considered to be a part of "Europe" until pretty recently.

The Pope and the Church also condemned slavery at an early date. But that didn't persuade most of the European countries, who continued to profit from slave plantations abroad--Portugal, Belgium, France, Germany, and so forth.

The fact that they were behaving hypocritically and knew what they were doing was wrong is well indicated by the fact that the slaves were kept abroad. It was known that they were there, but "out of sight, out of mind."