The history of the people of African descent in Ecuador is both similar and not similar when compared to the other ethnic groups. The similarity can be seen that as all other ethnic groups, the Afro-Ecuadorians were under the rule of Spain, so they were all together trying to find a way to get free and form an independent country. After the independence was gained, the history is pretty much the same of all ethnic groups in the country. What is not similar is the first part of the history, where the African-Ecuadorians were brought in as slaves. Unlike the other ethnic groups they did not had any rights, and they were actually possession of other people, often treated as objects or animals instead of being treated as all human beings.