Introduction
Slavery has long existed in human societies as many empires and nations have depended upon on a system of slavery. It thrived in Ancient Egypt and China, the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, and in their colonies and empires.
Gustave Boulanger’s painting The Slave Market
But what kinds of people were enslaved, and why? In ancient civilizations, slaves were usually captured in war or kidnapped in raids. Captives were often considered the property of those who captured them and were looked upon as a prize of war.
Some slaves were sold or born into slavery and could sometimes earn their freedom through hard work and buying their own freedom; but this was not always possible.
Over time, people have found other reasons to justify slavery. Slaves were usually considered somehow different than their owners. They might belong to a different nationality, religion, race, or ethnic background. By concentrating on such differences, slave owners felt they could deny basic human rights to their slaves.
Slavery image
In this factfile about the slave trade, some of the many slave based societies in history are explored along with what it means to be a slave. Particular attention is given to the transatlantic trade which enslaved millions of Africans from the middle of the 15th century until the end of the 19th century as 2007 commemorates the 200th anniversary of the 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act.
In 1807, the UK became one of the first nations to end its own participation in the slave trade, and went on to lead an international campaign to put a final end to the transatlantic trade, and ultimately slavery itself.
The Royal Navy has a proud history associated with the abolition of the slave trade, playing an important role in the years following the 1807 Act to abolish the Slave Trade, through active policing and enforcement as between 1807 and 1866, the Royal Navy captured well over 500 slave ships and prevented many more from loading their slave cargo.
Few human practices have provoked such widespread anger as the practice of one person enslaving another. But despite many efforts to end slavery, it still exists today. Some 27 million people worldwide are enslaved or work as forced labourers. That's more people than at any other point in the history of the world.
Next >>
|
A World of Slavery
Quick Facts
Introduction <<
Slavery in History
Atlantic Slave Trade
Abolishing the Slave Trade
The Survival of Slavery
|
