I think you are pretty wise to use the scriptures as your sole source of truth.
Next, let's look at how slaves were handled in the bible.
Now, in modern morality, Do Not Own People is high on the list of Do Not's, if not #1. Alas, no where in the bible is a prohibition from owning persons as slaves. Quite the opposite!
In Exodus 21:7-11, it differentiates women as slaves from men as slaves. Women? Never get set free, unless the owner is feeling particularly magnanimous. In short? The bible is just fine with women being owned as property, never to be set free.
Now, in Exodus 21:2-6 male slaves-- if they are Hebrew-- are to be freed after 6 years of unpaid labor. There are conditions, however, whereby the male is
not freed according to schedule. And if he had happened to be married while he was a slave? His wife(s) is(are) not freed automatically. Too bad for him!
Now, to be fair, Deuteronomy 15:12-18 seems to contradict some of the above, in that if the Hebrew (descent) slave(s) became a slave voluntarily? Then they get freedom after 6 years of unpaid service-- but any offspring remain slaves. Oh well.
But what if you were not a Hebrew National, and became a slave? Well, there is no Freedom for YOU-- you remain a slave for life. Leviticus 25:44-46.
Now, you may think I made up the bit about children of slaves have to remain slaves, but I did not: Exodus 21:4d.
But wait! There's more: Not only do slaves never get paid (which destroys the myth that they were somehow ... "servants" or some such-- they were not), they can be killed at a whim. Well-- almost.
So long as a slave lives a few days after being beat with a stick (rod), then it's just okay with the bible: Exodus 21:20-21.
BUT THAT IS THE OT, some will exclaim. Well, the NT has it's share too:
Ephesians 6:5-8 -- slaves were forbidden to try to get free, but remain docile little property. Because god made them that way. How dare they try to usurp god, by wanting freedom?
This 1 Timothy 6:1-2 pretty much says the same thing-- slaves are to be good little property.