Slavery was widespread in Africa for centuries before the Atlantic slave trade, and English settlers in Virginia enslaved indigenous people in 1619. This was the beginning of both African and indigenous slavery in British colonies. The Constitution did not mention the words "slave" or "slavery" originally but had provisions that referred to slaves. Most slaves in the 13 colonies came from West Africa during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Slavery has been a global practice since ancient times, but North American enslaved populations grew naturally rather than through the importation of slaves.