ish ▁sla very ▁in ▁Spain ▁The ▁Mo ors ▁often ▁served ▁as ▁slaves ▁in ▁Christian ▁Spain . ▁These ▁slaves ▁were ▁captured ▁from ▁ ▁Spain ▁and ▁North ▁Africa ▁and ▁imported ▁into ▁the ▁Christian ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁pen ins ula . ▁During ▁the ▁Exp ulsion ▁of ▁the ▁Mor is cos ▁( Mus lim s ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁forced ▁to ▁convert ▁to ▁Christian ity ), ▁thousands ▁gave ▁themselves ▁up ▁in ▁sla very ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁ev iction ▁order . ▁Spain ' s ▁Mo or ish ▁slave ▁population ▁was ▁progress ively ▁fre ed ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁as ▁the ▁institution ▁went ▁into ▁decl ine . ▁ ▁Tre at ment ▁of ▁slaves ▁in ▁Spain ▁The ▁treatment ▁of ▁slaves ▁in ▁Spain ▁was ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁less ▁har sh ▁compared ▁to ▁other ▁parts ▁where ▁slaves ▁were ▁held ▁capt ive . ▁Ind ividual ▁slaves ▁could ▁over ▁the ▁time ▁rise ▁to ▁a ▁certain ▁stat ure ▁that ▁could ▁allow ▁them ▁to ▁become ▁free . ▁However , ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁slaves ▁differ ed ▁with ▁each ▁slave ▁owner , ▁even ▁though ▁some ▁laws ▁protected ▁slaves . ▁ ▁The ▁slave ▁own ers ’ ▁control ▁was ▁dependent ▁on ▁the ▁notion ▁that ▁slaves ▁would ▁be ▁harm ful ▁to ▁their ▁interests ▁if ▁they ▁had ▁more ▁rights . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁important ▁to ▁Spanish ▁slave - own ers ▁that ▁their ▁slaves ▁adopt ▁Spanish ▁names ▁and ▁accept ▁Christian ity ▁as ▁their ▁religion . ▁Spanish ▁slaves ▁who ▁converted ▁to ▁Christian ity ▁were ▁often ▁treated ▁less ▁har sh ly , ▁and ▁had ▁better ▁opportun ities