Back in early colonial America, slaves were either prisoner of war or people in debt. Based on the PBS website Background Readings section, African slavery started because colonists needed the ideal workforce for their businesses. They were not enslaved because of their color but because of their work ethic and their skills. The Europeans discovered Africans and enslaved them not because of their color but because of their work ethic and their skills. White people from Europe were also indentured servants, people paid to work for others in a length of time.