Did God Approve Slavery?

Critics of the Old Testament point to, what they think, is God’s endorsement of slavery. Others claim that the laws allowed people to trade slaves as if they were farm animals, and to treat them in the most despicable ways.  This takes both the writing and the intent startlingly out of context.  An honest assessment would be that God advocated for the value of the individual, no matter their socio-economic status.