▁fle eing . ▁The ▁I ber ian ▁pen ins ula ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁base ▁for ▁further ▁exports ▁of ▁slaves ▁into ▁other ▁Muslim ▁regions ▁in ▁Northern ▁Africa . ▁ ▁African ▁sla very ▁in ▁Spain ▁In ▁ 1 4 4 2 , ▁Pope ▁Eug ene ▁IV ▁gave ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁explore ▁Africa . ▁The ▁Portuguese ▁attempted ▁to ▁protect ▁their ▁find ings ▁from ▁the ▁Spanish , ▁who ▁were ▁beginning ▁to ▁explore ▁Africa ▁contempor ane ously . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁Spain ▁was ▁occupied ▁by ▁a ▁Muslim ▁power ▁and ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁felt ▁threatened . ▁Prote ct ing ▁the ▁church , ▁Pope ▁Nicholas ▁V ▁in ▁ 1 4 5 2 ▁gave ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁ens lave ▁anyone ▁who ▁was ▁not ▁pract icing ▁the ▁Christian ▁religion , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Dum ▁D ivers as . ▁ ▁The ▁Spanish ▁government ▁created ▁the ▁As iento ▁system , ▁which ▁function ed ▁between ▁the ▁years ▁of ▁ 1 5 4 3 ▁and ▁ 1 8 3 4 . ▁The ▁As iento ▁allowed ▁other ▁countries ▁to ▁sell ▁people ▁into ▁sla very ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish . ▁A ▁population ▁by ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁was ▁mostly ▁composed ▁of ▁individuals ▁of ▁African ▁descent . ▁Ant umi ▁To as ij é ▁states ▁in ▁the ▁Journal ▁of ▁Black ▁Studies , ▁" A fr ican ▁pe op les ▁have ▁an ▁ancient ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁Pen ins ula . ▁In ▁fact , ▁Spanish ▁identity ▁especially ▁has ▁been ▁for ged ▁on ▁the ▁front lines ▁of ▁African ▁and ▁European ▁interaction ." ▁ ▁Mo or