Only after Africans were brought to Virginia did colonists begin to learn about the societies they came from. Far from being “primitive,” African civilizations were:
Highly organized, with cities like Timbuktu and Benin admired by Europeans
Skilled in farming, metalwork, weaving, and sculpture
Governed by complex legal systems, often more humane than Europe’s
Built on communal traditions, not the harsh private‑property laws of Europe