Rich nations are exactly like poor people. If you are lucky to grow up privileged, your path to success is very easy compared to someone who group up poor. Rich nations inherited the loot from slavery, and used it to power their innovation.

That is because Rich nations have the luxury to turn their attention and resources to the sciences and arts, once the basic necessities of life have been taken care of. Europe hardly made any progress during its so called "dark ages".

Yes, slavery as a mass industry became economically obsolete due to advances in science. That does not mean it was not very lucrative and beneficial to the those economies on the right side of it while it lasted. A study of human history is just one of the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer, until the next revolution comes about.