History of Slavery

Definition and History

• Slavery: a system where people are treated as property, forced to work, and are denied basic rights and freedoms.
• Existence dates back to ancient civilizations, including Greece, Rome, and Africa.
• Transatlantic Slave Trade (15th-19th centuries): millions of Africans forcibly enslaved and transported to the Americas.

Types of Slavery

• Chattel slavery: people treated as personal property, bought, sold, and inherited.
• Debt bondage: forced labor to repay debt or other obligations.
• Forced labor: work extracted from people under threat of penalty or punishment.
• Bride price slavery: women and girls forced into marriage and servitude.

Slavery in Different Regions

• Ancient Greece and Rome: widespread use of slaves in households, agriculture, and mining.
• Africa: internal slavery existed in various kingdoms and empires, with transatlantic trade devastating the continent.
• Americas: European colonizers brought millions of enslaved Africans to work on plantations and in mines.
• Asia: various forms of slavery existed in ancient and medieval periods, including debt bondage.

Abolition and Legacy

• Abolition movements: 18th-19th century campaigns to end slavery, led by activists like William Wilberforce and Frederick Douglass.
• Emancipation Proclamations: 1863 (US) and 1833 (UK) declarations freeing slaves, but often with limited implementation.
• Modern-day slavery: estimated 40 million people trapped in modern forms of slavery, including forced labor, debt bondage, and sex trafficking.
• Reparations and recognition: ongoing debates and efforts to acknowledge and redress the historical injustices of slavery.