essay questions for slavery

271 Slavery Topics and Essay Examples

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Writing an essay on slavery may be challenging as the topic brings up negative emotions to many people.

This issue is related to differences between social positions and their negative effects. In addition, slavery reveals racial disparities in society and damages race relations in many cultures.

Good slavery essays discuss the aspects and problems that are important and relevant today. Choose slavery essay topics that raise significant problems that remain acute in modern society. Slavery essay titles and topics may include:

• The problem of human trafficking in today’s world
• Why is it hard to stop child trafficking in today’s world?
• The aspects of plantation life for slaves
• The development of American slavery
• Was slavery inevitable?
• Differences and similarities between slavery in the US and serfdom in Russia
• The ineffectiveness of peaceful means against slavery
• Destructive aspects of slavery
• The link between slavery and racism
• The differences between the impact of slavery on women and men of color

Once you select the issue you want to discuss, you can start working on your paper. Here are some tips and secrets for creating a powerful essay:

• Remember that appropriate essay titles are important to get the readers’ interest. Do not make the title too long but state the main point of your essay.
• Start with developing a structure for your essay. Remember that your paper should be organized clearly. You may want to make separate paragraphs or sections for the most important topics.
• Include an introductory paragraph, in which you can briefly discuss the problem and outline what information the paper will present.
• Remember to include a concluding paragraph too, in which you will state the main points of your work. Add recommendations, if necessary.
• Do preliminary research even if you feel that you know much about the topic already. You can find useful information in historical books, peer-reviewed journals, and trusted online sources. Note: Ask your professor about the types of sources you are allowed to use.
• Do not rely on outside sources solely. Your essay should incorporate your knowledge and reflections on slavery and existing evidence. Try to add comments to the citations you use.
• Remember that a truly powerful essay should be engaging and easy-to-understand. You can tell your readers about different examples of slavery to make sure that they understand what the issue is about. Keep the readers interested by asking them questions and allowing them to reflect on the problem.
• Your slavery essay prompts should be clearly stated in the paper. Do not make the audience guess what the main point of the essay is.
• Although the content is important, you should also make sure that you use correct grammar and sentence structures. Grammatical mistakes may make your paper look unprofessional or unreliable.
• If you are writing an argumentative essay, do not forget to include refutation and discuss opposing views on the issue.
• Check out slavery essay examples online to see how you can structure your paper and organize the information. In addition, this step can help you to avoid possible mistakes and analyze the relevance of the issue you want to discuss.

Do not forget to check our free samples and get the best ideas for your essay!

• Slavery in To Kill a Mockingbird Novel The introduction of Tom by the author is a plot device to represent the plight of the slaves in the state.
• Sethe’s Slavery in “Beloved” by Toni Morrison In spite of the fact that the events depicted in Beloved take place after the end of the American Civil War, Sethe, as the main character of the novel and a former slave, continues to […]
• Analysis of Themes of Slavery in Literature The paper will be concentrated on the analysis of the works ‘The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano’ by Olaudah Equiano, ‘Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass’ by Frederick Douglass, and ‘Incidents […]
• Chapters 4-6 of ”From Slavery to Freedom” by Franklin & Higginbotham At the same time, the portion of American-born slaves was on the increase and contributed to the multiracial nature of the population.
• Slavery in the Roman Empire The elite were the rich people, and majority of the population that comprised of the common farmers, artisans, and merchants known as the plebeians occupied the low status.
• How “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” Addresses Slavery The insensitivity in this mistreatment and dehumanization of Black people is pervasive to the extent that Jim considers himself “property” and was proud to be worth a fortune if anyone was to sell him. To […]
• John Brown and His Beliefs About Slavery John Brown was a martyr, his last effort to end slavery when he raided Harper’s Ferry helped to shape the nation and change the history of slavery in America.
• “American Slavery, 1619-1817” by Peter Kolchin The concluding chapter details of the demise of slavery on the onset of the Civil War and Reconstruction. The period of American Revolution was a “watershed “in transforming the vision that portrayed slavery was justifiable […]
• Impact of Revolution on Slavery and Women Freed slaves and other opponents of the slave trade in the north agitated for release and freedom of slaves in the south.
• Du Bois’ “The Soul of Black Folk” and T. Washington’s “Up From Slavery” Du Bois in the work “The Soul of Black Folk” asks the question, why black people are considered to be different, why they are treated differently as they are the same members of the society, […]
• Economic Impact of Slavery Growth in Southern Colonies 1 The need to occupy southern colonies came as a result of the successes that were recorded in the north, especially after the establishment of cash crop farming. The setting up of the plantations in […]
• Metaphoric Theme of Slavery in “Indiana” by George Sand In her novel about love and marriage, Sand raises a variety of central themes of that time society, including the line of slavery both from the protagonist’s perspective and the French colonial slavery.
• Freedom in Antebellum America: Civil War and Abolishment of Slavery The American Civil War, which led to the abolishment of slavery, was one of the most important events in the history of the United States.
• Globalization and Slavery: Multidisciplinary View Globalization is an exciting concept and maybe one of the greatest achievements of the modern world. A case of the multidisciplinary nature of slavery is also evident in Pakistan, where slavery thrives on religious grounds.
• Impacts of Slavery and Slave Trade in Africa Slavery existed in the African continent in form of indentured servitude in the previous years, but Atlantic slave trade changed the system, as people were captured by force through raids before being sold to other […]
• “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and Slavery It is said that “the book is a very inadequate representation of slavery; and it is so, necessarily, for this reason, – that slavery, in some of its workings, is too dreadful for the purposes […]
• Betty Wood: The Origins of American Slavery Economic analyses and participation of the slave labor force in economic development are used to analyze the impact and role of slave labor in the development of the American economy.
• Slavery and Identity: “The Known World” by Edward Jones Moses is used to this kind of life and described by one of the other characters as “world-stupid,” meaning he does not know how to live in the outside world. He has a strong connection […]
• “Slavery and the British Empire: From Africa to America” by Morgan Kenneth Slavery has for a very long time attracted the attention of many history scholars.”Morgan Kenneth, in his book Slavery and the British Empire gives a deep in site of how the British came to embrace […]
• The Theme of Slavery in Aristotle’s “Politics” He notes that the fundamental part of an association is the household that is comprised of three different kinds of relationships: master to slave, husband to wife, and parents to their children.
• Gender Politics: Military Sexual Slavery In this essay, it will be shown that military power and sexual slavery are interconnected, how the human rights of women are violated by the military, and how gender is related to a war crime.
• The “Slavery by Another Name” Documentary The documentary highlights how the laws and policies of that time enabled the exploitation of Black people and how the legacy of slavery continued to shape the racial dynamics of the country.
• Human Trafficking: Slavery Issues These are the words to describe the experiences of victims of human trafficking. One of the best places to intercept human trafficking into the US is at the border.
• The Slavery Experience: Erra Adams Erra Adams indicates that he was the oldest of the children and his task was to plow the land. The formerly enslaved person noted that the death of the master was a real grief for […]
• Abraham Lincoln: The End of Slavery Lincoln actively challenged the expansion of slavery because he believed the United States would stay true to the Declaration of Independence. It is worth considering the fact that Lincoln was not the only advocate for […]
• Recreation of Slavery in “Sweat” Book by Hurston Perhaps the best-portrayed theme and the most controversial one is the recreation of slavery on the part of Afro-Americans who have just been freed of it.
• California’s Issues With Slavery However, the report and the book indicate this point and emphasize that the concept of free land was made in favor of white people but not in the interests of African Americans.
• Sexual Slavery and Human Smuggling They were the only people in the house, and it appeared that her parents were not home. The social worker’s job in Tiffani’s life is to look into her past, from her childhood through her […]
• Were the Black Codes Another Form of Slavery? Slavery in the United States has been a part of the nation’s history for hundreds of years, and yet it did not end abruptly.
• How Slavery Makes Sense From Various Perspectives Given that there is a historical precedent for the “peculiar institution,” it would be erroneous to dismiss slavery as something that is new. Thus, the institution of slavery is found even in the Bible, and […]
• Slavery in The Fires of Jubilee by Stephen Oates Apart from the story being arranged in chapters, the layout and approach suggest that the author has described the area of events narrated and then given the narration.
• Modern Slavery in Global Value Chains: Case Study The main reason for accusations of forced labor is that most of the factories Nike owns are in Vietnam, and they provide the lowest possible wages.
• Differences of Slavery: Oklahoma Writers’ Project vs. The Textbook Today, many sources discuss the characteristics of slavery, its causes, and the outcomes and describe the conditions under which the Civil War began. In the accounts and the textbook, different opportunities for slaves are given […]
• Autobiography & Slavery Life of Frederick Douglass This essay discusses the slavery life of Frederick Douglass as written in his autobiography, and it highlights how he resisted slavery, the nature of his rebellion, and the view he together with Brinkley had about […]
• The American Civil War: Pro- & Anti-Slavery Forces The pro-slavery forces argued that slavery was the right thing to do, promoting abolitionists and the anti-slavery forces as terrible villains because they wanted to abolish slavery.
• Slavery: Historical Background and Modern Perspective Despite the seemingly short period of contract slavery, people did not have the right to marry without the owner’s permission while the contract term was in effect.
• Irish Immigrants and Abolition of Slavery in the US The selected historical events are Irish immigration to the United States in the 1840s and 1850s and the movement for slavery abolition, which existed in the country at the same time.
• Irish Immigration to America and the Slavery Despite the fact that the Irish encountered a great number of obstacles, the immigration of Irish people to the United States was advantageous not only to the immigrants but also to the United States.
• Irish Immigrants and the Abolition of Slavery Irish people, though not as deprived of rights as the enslaved Africans, also endured much suffering and fought slavery to the best of their ability.
• North of Slavery: The Negro in the Free States: 1790 – 1860 The book North of Slavery: The Negro in the Free States: 1790 1860 by Leon Litwack is an illustration of how African Americans were treated in the northern states just before the start of The […]
• Modern Slavery and Its Emergence The author turns to the examples of three European countries and, through the analysis, reveals the piece of the effects of the slave trade and the modernization of its forms.
• Moral Aspect of Slavery from a Northern and Southern Perspective Pro-slavery, non-expansionist, and abolitionist perspectives on the moral foundations of slavery identify both differences between the North and south of the US and the gradual evolution of the nation’s view of African people.
• Thomas Jefferson on Slavery and Declaration of Independence Additionally, with the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson set the foundation for the abolition of slavery in the future. Thus, the claim that Jefferson’s participation in slavery invalidates his writing of the Declaration of Independence is […]
• Europeans’ Interest in Sugar and Slavery Hence, in the Atlantic world, it was also a significant factor, contributing not only to the well-being of the affected populations in Europe but also to the growth of slavery in the region.
• Self-Reflection on John Adams: Slavery and Race This could demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of the freedom of speech limitations that are considered in modern America. Therefore, I would like to know the perspectives of different political parties on the events of […]
• Slavery and Indentured Servitude Slavery practices were perceived to extend in Boston, which is believed to be the first place where someone tried to force enslaved people to have children to earn money. To summarize, the practice of slavery […]
• Indentured Servitude and Slavery The slave population in the North progressively fell throughout the 1760s and 1770s with slaves in Philadelphia reducing to approximately 700 in 1775.
• Critical Response: The Origin of Negro Slavery Considering that individuals of all races were involved in slavery in the New World, racism emerged as a consequence of forced labor and was not originally connected to the targeted discrimination of African Americans.
• Chesapeake Colonies and Development of Slavery The given trend was similar to the Middle and Chesapeake colonies, proving specific attitudes to slavery peculiar to people of that period.
• American Slavery Arise and Abolition In this regard, the new slaves were not truly emancipated, as they were still dependent on a source of resources for subsistence.
• Analysis of Slavery in United States The main points highlighted in the lecture are focused on the socio-economic differences between the two systems, the actual life of slaves, and methods of blacks’ rebellion.
• Review of Slavery Topic in “Never Caught” Thus, the former’s relationship to this institution was guided by humanity towards the slaves and the development of legal methods of improving their lives that did not exist in the latter case.
• Prohibiting Slavery in the United States In other words, the original ideas incorporated the considerations of sexual immorality due to the abuse of the affected persons and the practice of breeding people for sale. The contributions to the discussion were also […]
• Slavery Experience by Abdul Rahman ibn Ibrahim Sori Abdul Rahman continued talking about his family and status, but his royal priorities were not enough to confirm his identity and return to his family.
• Discussion of Slavery in Focus For this reason, the audience that reads about cases of slavery in some of the third-world countries has the feeling of encountering the past something that, in readers’ understanding, is already a history.
• New Slavery in “Disposable People” by Kevin Bales The immense increase of the population after World War II and the influence of development and globalization of the world’s economy on traditional families in developing countries have led to the increment in the gap […]
• Analysis of Documents on Greek Slavery The passages will be examined and evaluated better understand the social and cultural history of the period and learn more about the social order in Ancient Greece. It can be asserted that the issue of […]
• Discussion of Justification of Slavery As a result, such perceptions gave rise to the argument that the latter people are inferior to Europeans and, thus, should be in a position of servitude.
• The Industrial Revolution, Slavery, and Free Labor The purpose of this paper is to describe the Industrial Revolution and the new forms of economic activity it created, including mass production and mass consumption, as well as discuss its connection to slavery.
• Expansion of Freedom and Slavery in British America The settlement in the city of New Plymouth was founded by the second, and it laid the foundation for the colonies of New England.
• Should the U.S. Government Pay Reparations for Slavery Coates tries to get the attention of his audience by explaining to them the importance of understanding the benefits of the impact the slaves faced during the regime of white supremacy.
• Antebellum Slavery’s Role in Shaping the History and Legacy of American Society The novel tells the story of two different times, the 1970s and 1815s, and shows other conditions of the heroes’ existence due to gender and racial characteristics.
• View on the Slavery in the State of Mississippi According to Mississippi’s “Declaration of Causes,” slavery is “the greatest material interest of the world” and “these products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions”.
• Alexander Stephens on Slavery and Confederate Constitution The speaker remarks that the persistent lack of consensus over the subordination and slavery of the “Negro” between the South and North was the immediate reason why the Confederates decided to secede and establish their […]
• Origins of Modern Racism and Ancient Slavery The diversity of African kingdoms and the empires were engaged in the slave trade for hundreds of years prior to the beginnings of the Atlantic slave trade. The working and living condition of slaves were […]
• Isaac Burt: Modern-Day Slavery in the US Therefore, the author begins with the critical review of data on the notion of human trafficking, including sex and labor trafficking forms, which often use immigrants and women as vulnerable populations.
• How Violent Was the Slavery? Ask African American Women The book significantly impacted American literature due to the writer’s roots and the problems of slavery addressed in a detailed manner.
• The Role of Slavery for the American Society: Lesson Plan Understand how the development of slavery could influence the social and economic life of the Southern states and the role of the plantation system in the process.
• Colonialism and the End of Internal Slavery The Atlantic slave trade was considered among the main pillars of the economy in the western region between the 16th and 19th centuries.
• The History of American Revolution and Slavery At the same time, the elites became wary of indentured servants’ claim to the land. The American colonies were dissatisfied with the Royal Proclamation of 1763 it limited their ability to invade new territories and […]
• The Expansion of Slavery: Review Their purpose was to track and catch runaway slaves and return them to their masters. The work of slaves was primarily agricultural.
• Abolitionist Movement: Attitudes to Slavery Reflected in the Media One of the reasons confirming the inadmissibility of slavery and the unfairness of the attitude towards this phenomenon is the unjustification of torture and violence.
• Slavery and Social Death by Orlando Patterson As a result, relatively same practices of social death were applied to indigenous American people, which proves Patterson’s point of view that this attitude was characteristic not only for the African slave trade.
• Antebellum Culture and Slavery: A Period of History in the South of the United States The antebellum era, also known as the antebellum south, is a period of history in the south of the United States before the American Civil War in the late 18th century.
• Slavery and Society Destruction Seduced by the possibility of quick enrichment, the users of slave labor of both the past and the present, betrayed their humanity due to power and money.
• Trans-Atlantic Chattel Slavery and the Rise of the Modern Capitalist World System The reading provides an extensive background of the historical rise and fall of the African nations. The reading gives a detailed account of the Civil War and the color line within its context.
• Modern Slavery: Definition and Types Modern slavery is a predatory practice that is being utilized by businesses and organizations, some seemingly legitimate, worldwide through the exploitative and forced labour of victims and needs to be addressed at the policy and […]
• Human Trafficking as a Global Crime Industry: Labor, Slavery, Sexual Slavery, Prostitution, and Organ Harvesting As members of the society, every individual has to be aware of this glaring issue, and do their part in preventing human trafficking. This project will present an in-depth analysis of various aspects and perspectives […]
• Slavery in “Disposable People” Book by Kevin Bales The key point of his book is that the phenomenon of slavery is impossible to be eradicated. He has studied the current economic and political situations of the countries presented in his book that help […]
• Late Slavery and Emancipation in the Greater Caribbean The epoch of slavery defined the darkest history in the evolution of the civilization of humanity; the results of slavery continue permeating the psychology of very “far” descendants of the slaves themselves.
• Transatlantic Slave Trade and Colonial Chesapeake Slavery Most of the West African slaves worked across the Chesapeake plantation. This paper will explore the various conditions and adaptations that the African slaves acquired while working in the Chesapeake plantation.
• Slavery and Secession in Georgia The representatives of the State of Georgia were worried because of the constant assaults concerning the institution of slavery, which have created the risk of danger to the State.
• Slavery of African in America: Reasons and Purposes Since the beginning of the sixteenth century, the African slaves were shipped to Europe and Eastern Atlantics, but later the colonies started demanding workers and the trade shifted to the Americas.
• Slavery in Charleston, South Carolina Prior to the Year 1865 Charleston is a city in South Carolina and one of the largest cities in the United States. It speaks about the life and origin of the slaves and also highlights some of their experiences; their […]
• Verisimilitude of Equiano’s Narrative and Understanding of Slavery The main argument in the answer to Lovejoy was that the records could clarify the author’s true age, which is the key to the dismissal of the idea that Equiano is a native African.
• The Case for Reparations: Slavery and Segregation Consequences in the US Ta-Nehisi Coates, in his essay The Case for Reparations, examines the consequences of slavery and segregation in the United States and argues the importance of reparations for black Americans, both in a financial and moral […]
• Critique of Colin Thies’ “Commercial Slavery” The goal of the article was to evaluate the economic and political situation of the African slave trade and avoid other aspects according to which people were considered as oppressed and enslaved.
• Fredrick Douglas Characters. Impact of Slavery The institution of slavery drove and shaped the enslaved people to respond and behave in different ways in that Fredrick Bailey was forced to flee away from slavery and later changed his name to Fredrick […]
• Litwack’s Arguments on the Aftermath of Slavery This paper seeks to delve into a technical theme addressed by Leon on what kind of freedom was adopted by the ex-slaves prior to the passage of the 13th U.S.constitutional amendment of 1865 that saw […]
• Slavery, Civil War, and Abolitionist Movement in 1850-1865 They knew they were free only they had to show the colonists that they were aware of that.[1] The slaves were determined and in the unfreed state they still were in rebellion and protested all […]
• Slavery History in North America in the Middle 1830s I was born in a small village in Georgia, in the middle 1830s, a time when the United States was going through a lot of slave trade activities, and to many, the trade was accommodated […]
• The Major Developments in Slavery During 1800-1877 Several states in the South, in 1877 beginning with Georgia, took gain of this by issuing a succession of laws and a tax was put on voting.
• Slavery in America: Causes and Effects Slavery in America was a period in which people were caught and taken to do manual work in America from various parts of the world as a result of colonization.
• Slavery as an Institution in America This paper will look at the factors that enhanced the expansion of slavery as an institution in America during this period and further highlight the views held by the southern on slavery about its social […]
• Concept of Slavery Rousseau’s Analysis Rights and slavery are presented by the thinker as two contrary notions; Rousseau strived to provide the analysis of rights in their moral, spiritual sense; the involvement into dependence from the rulers means the involvement […]
• The Literature From Slavery to Freedom Its main theme is slavery but it also exhibits other themes like the fight by Afro-Americans for freedom, the search for the identity of black Americans and the appreciation of the uniqueness of African American […]
• Slavery in New Orleans and Charleston This paper is going to establish this claim by making a comparison of the lives of the slaves who lived in the urban areas such as the New Orleans and Charleston with those slaves that […]
• How Slavery Has Affected the Lives and Families of the African Americans? This paper will focus on how slavery in the earlier years has affected the lives and families of the African Americans in the year 2009.
• Slavery as One of the Biggest Mistakes And the last important thing which caused forming the institution of slavery for such a long period in the judgment of Winthrop D.
• Colonial Economy of America: Poverty, Slavery and Rich Plantations This topic deals with life in the colonial economy of America and the approach of white people towards black people. Mainly through natural production, the people became wealthy and they led a typical way of […]
• African Slavery and European Plantation Systems: 1525-1700 However, with the discovery of sugar production at the end of the 15th Century to the Atlantic Islands and the opening up of the New World in the European conquests, the Portuguese discovered new ways […]
• “Slavery and African Life: Occidental, Oriental, and African Slave Trades” by Patrick Manning The author’s approach of examining the slavery issue from the lens of economic history and the involvement of normal Africans living in Africa is then examined.
• Slavery and Democracy in 19th Century America In the 19th century when white folks are busy building a nation and taking part in the more significant aspects of creating a new future for their children, Negro slaves were still doing a backbreaking […]
• Abraham Lincoln`s Role in the Abolishment of Slavery in America In this speech, Lincoln emphasized the need for the law governing slavery to prevail and pointed out the importance of the independence of individual states in administering laws that governed slavery without the interference of […]
• Cotton, Slavery, and Old South The early nineteenth century was a time that was as significant for the south as it was for the north. If the south was to be divided into the upper south and the lower south, […]
• Slavery in Latin America and North America In the French and British Caribbean colonies, slaves were also imported in great numbers and majority of the inhabitants were slaves.
• “American Slavery an American Freedom” by Edmund S. Morgan The book witnesses the close alliance between the establishment of freedom rights in Virginia and the rise of slavery movement which is considered to be the greatest contradiction in American history.
• Lincoln and African Americans’ Role in the Abolition of Slavery This paper seeks to compare and contrast the role of Abraham Lincoln and the African Americans in bringing slavery to an end in the US.
• Western Expansion and Its Influence on Social Reforms and Slavery The western expansion refers to the process whereby the Americans moved away from their original 13 colonies in the 1800s, towards the west which was encouraged by explorers like Lewis and Clarke.
• How Important Was Slave Resistance as a Cause of Abolition of Slavery? This was particularly evident throughout the history of slaves in the Americas, and across the historical geography of slavery, from the time the slaves were seized from Africa through to the life they were subjected […]
• “Up From Slavery” by Booker T. Washington Each morning it was the duty of the overseer to assign the daily work for the slaves and, when the task was completed, to inspect the fields to see that the work had been done […]
• U.S. in the Fight Against a Modern Form of Slavery Since the United States of America is the most powerful nation in the world it must spearhead the drive to eradicate this new form of slavery within the U.S.and even outside its borders.
• The Profitability of Slavery for the Slave Master What is missing from this story is the fact that in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, North American colonies had to buy African slaves on a world market at prices which reflected the high profitability […]
• Slavery in the United States There was a sharp increase in the number of slaves during the 18th century, and by the mid of the century, 200,000 of them were working in the American colonies.
• Sociology, Race & Law. Cuban Form of Slavery Today Castro was benefiting alone from the sweat of many Cubans who worked abroad and in Cuba thinking that they could better their livelihood.
• African American Women’s Gender Relations and Experience Under Slavery When the New England Confederation was formed in 1643 to promote matters of common concern for the New England Colonies, one provision of the compact was for the rendition of bondservants.
• How African Men and Women Experienced Slavery? The book Ar’ not I a Woman, the author portrays that life of a woman in plantation was more difficult that life of a man because of different duties and responsibilities assigned to a woman-slave.
• Abraham Lincoln and Free Slavery Moreover, he made reference to the fact that the union was older than the constitution and referred to the spirit of the Articles of the Constitution 1774 and Articles of Confederation of 1788.
• Origins, Operations, and Effects of Black Slavery in US However, the impact that the enslavement of the vast numbers of Africans brought to America was phenomenal. This was a major effect of the slave trade.
• “Slavery Isn’t the Issue” by Juan Williams Review The author claims that the reparation argument is flawed as affirmative action has ensured that a record number of black Americans move up the economic and social ladder.
• Protest Against Slavery in ”Pudd’nhead Wilson” by Mark Twain Pudd’nhead Wilson is the ironic tale of a man who is born a slave but brought up as the heir to wealthy estate, thanks to a switch made while the babies were still in the […]
• African Americans Struggle Against Slavery The following paragraphs will explain in detail the two articles on slavery and the African American’s struggle to break away from the heavy and long bonds of slavery. The website tells me that Dredd Scott […]
• Slavery in the World The first independent state in the western hemisphere, the United States of America, was formed as a result of the revolutionary war of North American colonies of England for Independence in 1775-1783.
• Slaves and Slavery in Ancient Rome The revolt of slaves under the direction of Spartacus 73-71 BC is considered the most significant event of the period of crisis of the Roman republican regime in the first century DC and is estimated […]
• Issue of Slavery in “The Known World” by E. P. Jones The slaves were remained in the custody of the white masters received the same treatment as that of bondage slaves. The book is a beautiful representation of pre-war life in Virginia and how the widespread […]
• Olaudah Equiano as a Fighter Against Slavery Equiano’s Narrative demonstrates a conscious effort to ascribe spiritual enlightenment to the political arena and hence ascertain the importance of the relationship between spiritual intervention, the amysterious ways of Providence’ and parliamentary decisions concerning the […]
• Lincoln as a Fighter Against Slavery It is while a leader of the party he made her first moves to fight slavery in the Illinois house where he argued that slavery was a social evil and ought to be dealt away […]
• Slavery in Early America Review However, the local population was dwindling with the influx of disease and abuse and this, combined with Spain abolishing the enslavement of natives in the Americas in the mid-1500s, necessitated a need to acquire Africans […]
• Slavery Without the Civil War: Hypothesis The demand for slaves and the positive effect of this in the slaveholders’ profitability as well as the fact that both slaveholders and the slaves need one another to survive saw to it that the […]
• Slavery: Central Paradox of American History Since the rise of United States as a nation, historians have long thought of the emergence of slavery and freedom in our society as a great contradiction. As the central paradox, slavery needed to emerge […]
• Brief History of Slavery in the United States In his article regarding the true sentiments of the slaves, Genovese suggests the reasons why the slaves were perceived as lazy was as the result of their more natural, rural lifestyle.”The setting remained rural, and […]
• Virginia After the Boom: Slavery and “The Losers” New labor force that came to Virginia “threatened the independence of the small freeman and worsened the lot of the servant”.
• Antebellum Slavery in Mark Twain’s World Twain’s depiction of Jim and his relationship with Huck was somewhat flawed in order to obey the needs of the story, and also by Twains’ interest in slave autobiographies and also in blackface minstrelsy.
• Slavery in New York City: Impact and Significance Blacks’ significance in the development of the city’s most critical systems, such as labor, race, and class divisions, makes it possible to conclude that the influence of slavery in New York was substantial. The effect […]
• Slavery In The United Stated Society In the above discussion, there is a short story of slavery in the USA. By abolishing slavery in the USA is the sign of democracy and human dignity.
• Black American Authors on Slavery Analysis The work is centered on the same theme that the Narrative the author tells the reader of her experiences as a slave and the way she managed to escape from it.
• Slavery Still Exists in American Prisons An examination of the history of the penal system as it existed in the State of Texas proves to be the best illustration of the comparisons between the penal system and the system of slavery.
• Ghana: The Consequences of Colonial Rule and Slavery One of the reasons for this dependency is that the country had been the foothold for the slave trade for about four centuries.
• “Slavery and the Making of America” Documentary According to the film Slavery and the Making of America, slavery had a profound effect on the historical development of American colonies into one country.
• Harriet Jacobs’s Account of Slavery Atrocities She wrote that she wanted the women living in the North to understand the conditions in which slaves lived in the Souths, and the sufferings that enslaved women had to undergo.
• Anti Slavery and Abolitionism Both gradual emancipation and conditional emancipation were not allowed, but free blacks from the North and evangelicals revealed their opposition in the form of the movement that required the development of social reform.
• Sexual Slavery in “The Apology” Film by Hsiung The documentary being discussed focuses on the experiences of three women, the survivors of military sexual slavery in China, South Korea, and the Republic of the Philippines.
• Slavery Resistance from Historical Perspective The lack of rights and power to struggle resulted in the emergence of particular forms of resistance that preconditioned the radical shifts in peoples mentalities and the creation of the tolerant society we can observe […]
• Slavery Abolition and Newfound Freedom in the US One of the biggest achievements of Reconstruction was the acquisition of the right to vote by Black People. Still, Black Americans were no longer forced to tolerate inhumane living conditions, the lack of self-autonomy, and […]
• Slavery Elements in Mississippi Black Code These are the limitation of the freedom of marriage, the limitation of the freedom of work, and the limitation of the freedom of weapon.
• History: Slavery in Southern States The strategy of pacification was especially prevalent during that time because wealthy slaveowners wanted to keep possible protests under control and prevent the rest of the white population from supporting the abolition of slavery in […]
• Slavery in “Abolition Speech” by William Wilberforce The following article is devoted to the description of the problem of slavery and the slave trade in Africa. The author also underlines the incompetency of the committee, which is in charge of the question […]
• Slavery History: Letters Analysis The letters analyzed in this paper give a piece of the picture that was observed during the 1600s and the 1700s when slaves from different parts of the world had to serve their masters under […]
• Social Psychology of Modern Slavery The social psychology of modern slavery holds the opinion that slavery still exists today, contrary to the belief of many people that slavery does not exist in the modern world.
• Slavery: History and Influence The slaves were meant to provide labor for the masters and generate wealth. During the day, they would sneak to breastfeed the newborns.
• Reformer and Slavery: William Lloyd Garrison The newspaper was published until the end of the civil war and the abolition of slavery by the enactment of the Thirteenth Amendment.
• Slavery Role in the American Literature Stowe has claimed that the anti slavery groups questioned the morality of the white Christians who were at the fore front in the oppression of the Black people.
• Slavery as a Cause of the American Civil War On the other hand, one is to keep in mind that many historians are of the opinion that the reasons for the war are not so easy to explain.
• Thomas Jefferson on Civil Rights, Slavery, Racism When I authored the declaration of independence of the United States of America, I was having a democratic perspective of the American people on my mind.
• Slavery, American Civil War, and Reconstruction Indian removal from the Southeast in the late 19th century was as a result of the rapid expansion of the United States into the south.
• Slavery in the Ancient World and the US Appearance age and attitude of the slaves acted as the determinants to the wage that they were to be paid for their services.
• Slavery in “Flight to Canada” Novel by Ishmael Reed In his novel Flight to Canada, Ishmael Reed blurs the boundaries between the prose and poetry as well as the past and the present to express his satirical criticism of the legacy of slavery even […]
• Slavery and the Southern Society’s Development The fact that quite a huge number of white people moved to the “Deep South” where cotton planting was among the most lucrative forms of income-generating activities, just goes to show that the whites relied […]
• Paternalistic Ethos During American Slavery Era The slave owner gains directly from the welfare of the slaves and the slaves gained directly from offering their services to the slave owner.
• The Book About Slavery by Hinton Rowan Helper He claimed further that those who supported abolitionism and freedom were the friends of the south while slaveholders and slave-breeders were the real enemies of the south.
• Slavery and Freedom: The American Paradox
• Slavery in the USA and Its Impact on Americans
• Voices From the Epoch of Slavery
• “Slavery by Another Name” Documentary
• Cultural Consequences of the US Slavery: 1620-1870
• The American Anti-Slavery Society
• Modern Slavery in Thailand and Mauritania
• Frederick Douglass as an Anti-Slavery Activist
• George Whitfield’s Views on Slavery in the US
• Internal Colonization and Slavery in British Empire
• Slavery in “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”
• Slavery in “A Brief History of the Caribbean”
• Slavery in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
• Slavery Phenomenon and Its Causes in the USA
• Women Trafficking and Slavery: Trends and Solutions
• Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery
• Slavery Arguments and American Civil War
• Ethical Problems With Non-Human Slavery and Abuse
• Racism in USA: Virginia Laws on Slavery
• Sojourner Truth: Slavery Abolitionist and Women’s Suffrage
• Slavery in Islamic Civilisation
• Religious Studies of the Slavery Problem
• Slavery and the Abolition of Slave Trade
• Slavery and the Civil War Relationship
• Abraham Lincoln Against Slavery
• Blacks Role in Abolishing Slavery
• The Poetry on the Topic of Slavery
• John Brown and Thomas Cobb Role in Ending Slavery
• Slavery in the Southern Colonies
• Christianity, Slavery and Colonialism Paradox
• Slavery and the Civil War
• Literary Works’ Views on Slavery in the United States
• Analysis of Slavery in American History in “Beloved“ by Tony Morrison
• History of Abolishing Slavery
• The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery
• Sex Slavery in India
• The Period of Slavery in the “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” by Harriet Jacobs
• Slavery in America: “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”
• Abolition of Slavery in Brazil
• Slavery Effects on Enslaved People and Slave Owners
• The Problem of Slavery in Africa
• Racial Slavery in America
• “Not For Sale: End Human Trafficking and Slavery”: Campaign Critique
• Colonial Portuguese Brazil: Sugar and Slavery
• Aristotle on Human Nature, State, and Slavery
• Reform-Women’s Rights and Slavery
• Human Trafficking in the United States: A Modern Day Slavery
• Oronooko by Aphra Behn and the Why there is no Justification for Slavery
• Rise and Fall of Slavery
• History of Slavery Constitution in US
• Propaganda in Pro-slavery Arguments and Douglass’s Narrative
• Testament Against Slavery: ”Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”
• Comparing and Contrasting three Versions of Slavery
• How Did the French Revolution Impacted the Issue of Slavery and the History of Santo Domingo?
• Why slavery is wrong
• The Evolution of American Slavery
• Slavery and Racism: Black Brazilians v. Black Americans
• History of the African-Americans Religion During the Time of Slavery
• The Emergence of a Law of Slavery in Mississippi
• The Effects of Slavery on the American Society
• The Ideas of Freedom and Slavery in Relation to the American Revolution
• Up from Slavery, Down to the Ground: Sailing Amistad. A
• Slavery in the British Colonies: Chesapeake and New England
• Slavery and the Old South
• African American Culture: A History of Slavery
• Slavery and the Underground Railroad
• Slavery Illuminates Societal Moral Decay
• The Southern Argument for Slavery
• Did Morality or Economics Dominate the Debates Over Slavery in the 1850s?
• Masters and Slaves: ”Up From Slavery” by Washington Booker
• No Reparations for Blacks for the Injustice of Slavery
• Slavery: The Stronghold of the Brazil Economy
• Slavery, Racism, and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
• Slavery, the Civil War & Reconstruction
• Slavery in American History
• The Slavery in America
• Beloved by Toni Morrison: History of Slavery and Racial Segregation in America
• African Americans: The Legacy of Slavery in the U.S.
• Sexual Slavery and Prostitution During WWII and US Occupation in Japan
• A New Dawn: The Abolishment of Slavery in the USA
• How Slavery Applies to Africans Within the Islamic World?
• Where Did Slavery Start First in the World?
• How Did Slaves Respond to Slavery?
• How the Germans Influenced Modern Day Slavery?
• How Did Slavery Change From the Arrival of the First Enslaved People in the 1600s to the Abolition of Slavery in the 1860s?
• How Did Slavery Encourage Both Economic Backwardness and Westward Expansion?
• Why Did Colonial Virginians Replace Servitude With Slavery?
• Did Slavery Create More Benefits or Problems for the Nation?
• What Was Slavery Like and How Is It Today?
• When and How Did Slavery Begin?
• What Were the Positive and Negative Effects of Slavery on the Americas?
• Is There a Difference Between Human Trafficking and Slavery?
• How Did Slavery Shape Modern Society and the Colonial Nations?
• How Did Economic, Geographic, and Social Factors Encourage the Growth of Slavery?
• How Did Colonization Along the Atlantic Contribute to Slavery?
• What Degree Did Slavery Play in the Civil War?
• Modern Day Slavery: What Drives Human Trafficking?
• How Did Slavery Start in Africa?
• How Did Slavery Affect the Spirit of the Enslaved and the Enslavers?
• What Did the Haitian Revolution Do to End Racial Slavery?
• How Were African Americans Treated During the Slavery Period?
• What Created Slavery?
• How Important Was Slavery Before 1850? Was It a Marginal Institution, Peripheral to the Development of American Society?
• How Did African American Slavery Help Shape America?
• When Did Slavery Start in America?
• How Can the World Allow Slavery to Continue Today?
• What Were the Differences Between Indentured Servitude and Slavery?
• In What Industries Is Slavery Most Prevalent?
• How Was Slavery Abolished?
• Did the Atlantic Plantation Complex Create Slavery?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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126 Slavery Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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Slavery has been a dark stain on human history for centuries, and its effects are still felt today. As such, it is a crucial topic to discuss and explore in essays and academic papers. If you are looking for inspiration for your next essay on slavery, look no further. Here are 126 slavery essay topic ideas and examples to help you get started.

• The origins of slavery in ancient civilizations
• The impact of slavery on the African continent
• The transatlantic slave trade and its consequences
• The role of slavery in colonial America
• Slavery and the American Civil War
• The abolitionist movement and the end of slavery in the United States
• The legacy of slavery in modern American society
• Slavery in the Caribbean and its lasting effects
• Slavery in Latin America: a comparative analysis
• Slavery in the Islamic world
• The role of slavery in the Ottoman Empire
• The impact of slavery on indigenous populations
• Slavery in the Roman Empire
• The economics of slavery
• The psychology of slavery: the effects on both slaves and slave owners
• The experience of enslaved women
• The resistance of enslaved people
• Slave narratives: the power of personal stories
• The role of religion in justifying slavery
• Slavery and the law: how legal systems have perpetuated or abolished slavery
• The role of race in defining slavery
• Slavery in literature: how writers have depicted the institution
• Slavery in art: visual representations of slavery throughout history
• Slavery in film: how movies have portrayed the horrors of slavery
• Slavery in music: the role of music in the slave experience
• Slavery and capitalism: how the two systems have intersected
• Slavery and imperialism: how colonialism relied on enslaved labor
• Slavery and the environment: the impact of forced labor on ecosystems
• Slavery and education: how enslaved people were denied access to learning
• Slavery and health: the physical and mental toll of forced labor
• Slavery and family: how the institution tore families apart
• Slavery and sexuality: the exploitation of enslaved individuals
• Slavery and identity: how enslaved people retained their sense of self
• Slavery and memory: how societies remember or forget their history of enslavement
• Slavery and reparations: the debate over compensating descendants of enslaved people
• Slavery and human rights: the violation of basic rights in a system of bondage
• Slavery and resistance: how enslaved people fought back against their oppressors
• Slavery and trauma: the long-lasting effects of enslavement on individuals and communities
• Slavery and art: how artists have used their work to confront the legacy of slavery
• Slavery and technology: how advancements in technology have both enabled and challenged the institution
• Slavery and globalization: how the slave trade connected distant parts of the world
• Slavery and migration: how forced labor shaped patterns of movement and settlement
• Slavery and religion: how different faiths have grappled with the morality of slavery
• Slavery and education: how the history of slavery is taught in schools
• Slavery and tourism: the ethical implications of visiting former slave sites
• Slavery and the prison-industrial complex: parallels between historical slavery and modern incarceration
• Slavery and the economy: how enslaved labor fueled economic growth
• Slavery and the environment: the ecological impact of forced labor
• Slavery and social justice: the ongoing fight for equality and reparations
• Slavery and intersectionality: how race, gender, and class intersect in the experience of enslavement
• The role of women in the abolitionist movement
• The legacy of slavery in contemporary race relations
• Slavery and the criminal justice system: how historical injustices continue to impact black communities
• Slavery and mental health: the intergenerational trauma of enslavement
• Slavery and the media: how the portrayal of slavery in popular culture shapes public perception
• Slavery and education: the importance of teaching the history of slavery in schools
• Slavery and human trafficking: the modern-day forms of enslavement
• Slavery and the internet: how digital platforms have been used to combat modern slavery
• Slavery and the law: the legal framework for combating human trafficking
• Slavery and globalization: how the global economy perpetuates modern-day slavery
• Slavery and social media: the role of online activism in raising awareness about human trafficking
• Slavery and migration: the link between forced labor and immigration
• Slavery and child labor: the exploitation of children in various industries
• Slavery and supply chains: the responsibility of companies to ensure that their products are not made with slave labor
• Slavery and the sex trade: the intersection of prostitution and human trafficking
• Slavery and race: the disproportionate impact of modern slavery on marginalized communities
• Slavery and gender: the specific vulnerabilities of women and girls to human trafficking
• Slavery and disability: the exploitation of disabled individuals in forced labor situations
• Slavery and LGBTQ rights: the unique challenges faced by queer and trans individuals in situations of human trafficking
• Slavery and indigenous communities: the historical and ongoing impact of forced labor on indigenous peoples
• Slavery and environmental justice: the connection between environmental degradation and human trafficking
• Slavery and social work: the role of social workers in combating modern slavery
• Slavery and healthcare: the physical and mental health consequences of human trafficking
• Slavery and education: the importance of educating communities about the signs of human trafficking
• Slavery and technology: the ways in which technology has been used to combat modern slavery
• Slavery and law enforcement: the challenges faced by police and other authorities in identifying and prosecuting human traffickers
• Slavery and policy: the need for legislative action to address the root causes of modern slavery
• Slavery and international cooperation: the importance of cross-border collaboration in combating human trafficking
• Slavery and advocacy: the role of activists and organizations in raising awareness about modern slavery
• Slavery and art: the use of visual and performing arts to shed light on the issue of human trafficking
• Slavery and journalism: the responsibility of media outlets to report accurately on cases of human trafficking
• Slavery and technology: the ways in which social media and other digital platforms have been used to combat modern slavery
• Slavery and education: the importance of incorporating anti-trafficking education into school curricula
• Slavery and policy: the

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199 Slavery Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on slavery, 👍 good slavery research topics & essay examples, 🔎 easy slavery research paper topics, 🎓 most interesting slavery research titles, 💡 simple slavery essay ideas, 🌶️ hot slavery ideas to write about, ❓ slavery research questions.

• Toni Morrison’s Novel “Beloved”: Slavery Theme
• Slavery in “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler
• Slavery in “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” the Novel by Mark Twain
• The Machiavellianism Theory’s Application to Slavery
• The Theme of Slavery in Poetry
• “Up from Slavery” by Booker T. Washington Analysis
• “The Escape, Or: A Leap for Freedom”, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”: The Need for Social Action on Slavery
• Economics and Slavery in Frederick Douglass’ Narrative This work discusses Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave and the author’s view on the way economics affects slavery.
• Slavery and Human Rights Violation The work presents three stories from various time periods and places, but they are common in the fact that, due to greed, some people are ready to sacrifice all human qualities.
• Views on Slavery by F.Douglass and B.Washington Douglass and Washington draw the readers’ attention to the fact that their situations and descriptions of slave life are the reflections of the conditions typical for the period.
• Narrative of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped from Slavery Henry Brown was born in Louisa County, Virginia, in 1816 and became known as Henry “Box” Brown after the box he used to escape slavery.
• Comparison of the Slavery Systems in Ancient Rome and Ottoman This research defines how slavery was carried out in the two empires and compares and contrasts some of the activities that were involved in the practice of slavery in the two empires.
• Slavery in the Novel “Satyricon” by Gaius Petronius The excellent Roman novel, Satyricon, by Gaius Petronius, offers modern readers a way to delve into the class structure in the twilight of Roman society by depicting characters from all levels.
• The Slavery Debate Between 1820 and 1850 The work is aimed to provide a historical overview of the slavery debate between 1820 and 1850, which meant the conflict between North and South of the USA.
• Haratins: Slavery in Mauritania Yesterday and Today The article provides a detailed analysis of how the situation with slavery in Mauritania has changed over time and how things are now.
• At-Will Employment: The 21st Century Form of Slavery At-will employment is defined as such relationships between an employer and employee in which the latter could be dismissed without any warning or valid reason.
• Slavery in the Texas: Declaration of Causes and Address by Sam Houston The first document under review is titled “Texas Declaration of Causes”. This piece of writing represents an account of the grudge.
• Antebellum Period Southerners and Slavery The South relied on slavery for economic prosperity and used the wealth acquired from plantations with slaves as laborers to justify slavery and the slave trade.
• Race and Slavery in the “Clotel” Novel by Brown In “Clotel,” Brown explores the aspect of race through the ravaging effects of slavery and uses a number of female characters who undergo suffering as a result of the slave trade.
• Slavery as a Human Rights Issue The paper argues slavery in underdeveloped countries, especially Africa, continues to be a pressing and contemporary problem.
• White Slave Owners and the Tyranny of Slavery in Phillis Wheatley’s Poetry Published in 1773, Wheatley had an opportunity to speak out on the tyranny she and her race faced from day today.
• Slavery in Hispaniola and Mexico This paper analyzes the history of slavery in Hispaniola and Mexico, its evolution, abolition, and similar malpractices encountered in the region today.
• History of Slavery and Its Impacts on Society The role of the history of slavery cannot be neglected. It introduces several lessons and much information about the mistakes that have been already made and the opportunities.
• The Invention of the Cotton Gin and Its Impact on Slavery The invention of the cotton gin in the US allowed the planters to increase production, which led to a dramatic increase in the number of slaves working in the fields.
• The American Yawp: Poking the Slavery Epoch This paper examines the troubling history of slavery in the US and the justifications used by American elites to perpetuate racial subjugation and enslavement of Africans.
• The Sexual Abuse of Black Men Under American Slavery The thesis of this article is that violence has no face, race, or gender. The times of slavery left a large number of people disfigured and offended, including men.
• Slavery vs. Indentured Servitude The paper explains how and why slavery developed in the American colonies and describes how the practice of slavery differed between each colonial region.
• Plantation Slavery in Louisiana The period of slavery in the US is one of the darkest periods in the history. The purpose of this essay is to study the stories of former slaves to get an idea of slavery in Louisiana.
• Slavery vs. Indentured Servants The main difference between slaves and indentured servants is that while slaves were not free as they were their masters’ property, indentured servants enjoyed some freedom.
• Slavery and Its Religious and Moral Aspects The letter by Foster included in “The Brotherhood of Thieves” and the work “Slavery and the Bible” by an unknown author discuss the religious and moral aspects of slavery.
• History of Slavery and Its Impact on the Society Slavery emerged together with the rise of the first civilization as the most primitive form of relationships between different members of the ancient society.
• William Lloyd Garrison and Slavery in America William Lloyd Garrison made a significant contribution to the anti-slavery movement through his idealism. Garrison took both moral and practical approach to issues.
• Human Trafficking – Modern-Day Slavery Modern-day slavery is one of the outcomes of globalization; it affects millions of people and brings immense revenue to the criminals.
• How the White Southerners Justified Slavery White Southerners are thriving members of the society living in the Southern parts of the USA. Typical white southerners were yeomen who cultivated small portions of land.
• Slavery Experiences Depicted in Primary Documents Women were among the most vulnerable slaves who suffered from psychological and physical torture during slavery.
• Slavery in The American South: Slavery and Southern Society Many masters did not provide a comfortable life for their slaves. Black people were often exploited and sold into slavery in the American South.
• The History of African American Slavery The fact that African Americans were taken captive and brought to America as enslaved gave them an unfair start in the country.
• The Phenomenon of Slavery and Its Abolition The paper states that revolutions and amendments ensured the actualization of the abolition of slavery and created equality between the various races.
• Injustices Faced by African American People Since Slavery The paper states that African Americans experienced a great deal of racial discrimination, which diminished their confidence among whites.
• African Kingdoms, Atlantic Slave Trade, and New World Slavery The connections between African kingdoms, the Atlantic slave trade, and the new world slavery are shown in this paper.
• Women’s Rights, Abolition of Slavery, and Nationalism in the US This paper examines such important events in the US history as women’s rights convention, the abolition of slavery, and nationalism development.
• Slavery and Democracy in the United States On the road to progress and enlightenment, virtually all races have resorted to such a terrible form of social development as slavery.
• The Ideas and Perspectives of Literary Works About Slavery and Racism The essay aims to provide insights into opinions about the ideas and perspectives of literary works about slavery, racism, and the oppression of African-Americans.
• The Reconstruction Amendments: Abolishing Slavery The current paper states that the Reconstruction Amendments aimed to protect rights by abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude.
• The Haitian Revolution and Slavery The Haitian Revolution is intertwined with the ideas of enslaved people’s desires for freedom, social justice, and equity.
• The Impact of Slavery on Society Slavery is a tragedy in human history due to its cruel barbarism, scale, organized nature, and denial of the victims’ essence.
• Frederick Douglass’ Illustrations Concerning Slavery Frederick Douglass provides insightful and educative illustrations concerning slavery and its severe negative impacts that suggest that it should be eradicated.
• Racial Ideology and Slavery in the United States This paper examines the concept of race and how previous racial ideologies contributed to the expansion of racial slavery in the United States.
• Historical and Modern-Day Slavery In this paper, the concept of modern-day and historical slavery will be compared and contrasted, exemplifying the similarities between the notions.
• Westward Migration and Expansion of Slavery The Westward expansion began in 1803 with the purchase of land that doubled the territory of the United States. The Louisiana purchase sparked the interest of Americans.
• Civilizations and Their Thinkers’ Views on the Subject of Slavery Different people throughout the years had different views on slavery, and depending on their living conditions, philosophy, and ideas, their treatment of slaves changed.
• The History of Slavery Impact Analysis The history of slavery is one of the most complex and debated topics in modern research because the issue of human trafficking and enslavement is still relevant.
• Analysis of Slavery and Resistance Slavery was the most abhorrent practice in both American and world history because violated every connotation and notion of human decency, right, freedom, and justice.
• The Abolition of American Cotton Slavery The abolition of slavery became possible and necessary as America’s cotton monopoly met intense competition from India, Egypt, Brazil, and other countries.
• Civil War: The Legacy in Ending Slavery The Civil War was among the worst wars that happened in America. However, it also left a legacy that caused the ending of slavery.
• New World Slavery and Racism in Society The effects of slavery and racial ideology can be observed even after the official abolition of this policy. There is racial discrimination in labor and health care.
• The Struggle Against Slavery Was for All The paper indicates that the fight against slavery was a fight for humanity that took a long but eventually bore incredible fruits.
• Supply Chain Slavery and Exploitation Modern-day slavery is no different from the historic term due to similarities when it comes to exploitation, abuse, and entrapment of vulnerable individuals.
• Slavery in the American Colonies This paper aims to discuss the institution of slavery established in the American colonies and the impact of the American revolution on slavery.
• American History: Reconstruction Era, Slavery, Indian Wars This period was characterized by attempts to rectify the inequities of slavery and its political, social and economic legacy left by the American Civil War.
• African American Slavery in Case of Harriet Jacobs This paper reviews life for Harriet Jacobs and other slaves, how African Americans were treated, and how Harriet Jacobs and other slaves coped with the bondage.
• Haiti’s and Cuba’s Independence Movement and Slavery The independence movements in Latin America and the Caribbean, as can be seen from the Cuban and Haitian experiences, were mostly guided by the problem of slavery.
• Slavery and Racism: History and Linkage Slavery has changed over time; this institution in the ancient world was different from its modern forms; in particular, the Atlantic slave trade added a racial aspect to it.
• Stowe and Douglass’s Depiction of Slavery In this work, the messages of “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” and “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” will be discussed.
• History of African American Slavery Before the introduction of the slave trade, Africans who lived in West Africa had diverse and rich histories of their culture.
• Slavery Abolishment and Underlying Reasons We should understand the value of human life, and liberating slaves will permit the States to advance as a country with high ethics and solid equity.
• Slavery: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” depicts and illustrates the author’s life and his journey from being a slave to becoming a free and independent man.
• The Role of Religion in Propping-Up Slavery The article discusses that Christianity and its principles contributed to the propping up of the slavery system.
• What Is More Impactful: Freedom or Slavery? In modernity, the history of slavery in the United States can primarily be contextualized as the history of abolition.
• Slavery in Colonial America The paper discusses slavery. It is different from indentured servitude in many aspects. It was widely spread in many regions of Colonial America.
• Slavery in Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass Fredrick Douglas is one of the most famous Afro-American leaders of the XIX century. He was an abolitionist and one of the main figures of the anti-slavery movement in the USA.
• Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy and Tsotsi The movie’s message tells the viewer that there are many children like this, and there are many of Tsotsi nowadays.
• Slavery as a Part of America’s History More than two centuries of American history were overshadowed by such a terrible phenomenon as slavery when people were divided into white and black.
• Indentured Servitude and Slavery in Virginia in the 1600s The paper indicates that indentured servitude and slavery possessed different connotations for individuals in Virginia in the 1600s.
• James Baldwin’s Essays on Racism and Slavery By studying Baldwin’s reflection on the nature of racism, its link to slavery, and its traces in the American community, one can understand the nature of modern racism.
• Hard Questions About Living in Poverty or Slavery The paper aims to find the answers to several questions, for example, how to remain human while living in the conditions of extreme poverty or slavery.
• Post-Slavery African-American Exploitation The central theme of the paper is the oppressive laws adopted in the southern states after the abolition of slavery.
• The Abolition of Slavery After the Civil War This essay covers topics directly addressing the racial problems from Reconstruction when the civil war between the North and the South pushed society to critical changes.
• Dew’s View of Slavery: Debate in the Virginia Legislature “Review of the Debate in the Virginia Legislature of 1831 and 1832” argues that the New Testament not only justifies slavery but even encourages it.
• DuBois’ and Tocqueville’s Perspective on Legacy of Slavery The plight for equal rights for racial and ethnic minorities has been one of the most long-standing issues in world history, with the history of slavery in the U.S.
• Indentured Servitude and Slavery: Similarities and Differences The current paper aims to discuss indentured servants and slaves. They were brought from outside America to work in plantations in the colony.
• Features of Slavery in South America Slavery was crucial in creating the Southern mentality and worldview and significantly formed the social background.
• The Significant Events Leading to the End of Slavery This essay looks at some of the significant events leading to the end of slavery by reviewing David Wyatt’s opinion on how slavery died out according to history.
• Slavery and the Civil War: Reasons and Outcomes Slavery stressed the issue of freedom in America and led to effective national changes in its legislation, economy, policy, and social structure.
• Economics of Slavery and Expansion The paper discusses that the economics of slavery was greatly dependent on the expansion into the mainland United States.
• African-Americans Grievances After Slavery Abolition Discriminative social policies were intended to safeguard racial, generational interests by keeping white people away from black culture in places like Mississippi.
• From Slavery to Racism: Historical Background Racism did not spur slavery or encourage it; instead, it was used to justify a phenomenon that would exist nonetheless due to the economic situation in the world at the time.
• Slavery and Slaves in the United States of America The article analyzes the Garnet speech where he proclaimed the time for slaves to start fighting for justice and freedom for the sake of past and future generations.
• Slavery and Discrimination: The Foundations of the Problem This work explores the roots of the slavery problem and raises the question of whether discrimination would be so intense in the modern world if only white people were slaves.
• Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass: Slavery and Christianity Douglass distinguishes between the truthful and hypocritical versions of Christianity. He demonstrates how the slaveholders’ beliefs do not adhere to religious doctrine.
• Slavery Institution as a Source for Victimization In conclusion, the slavery institution as a concept was harmful not only to slaves but also to slaveholders. This practice degrades the common values.
• Slavery and the Compromise of 1850 The Compromise of 1850 gave the US a temporary respite but did not and could not solve the problem of slavery.
• Gendered Aspects of Slavery in American History The US social, political, and economic development is significantly shaped by slavery among African Americans.
• Eric Williams: Slavery Was Not Born Out of Racism In “Capitalism and Slavery,” Williams writes: “Slavery was not born out of racism: rather, racism was the consequence of slavery”.
• History of Texas: Colonization and Slavery Texas has a rich history characterized by its unintended colonization by the Spaniards and the ultimate widespread African slavery.
• The Birth of Slavery in America Indeed, all thirteen of the original states actively practiced slavery, but the same patterns of using cheap labor differed markedly.
• To Right the Wrongs: Reparations for Slavery The former colonial powers must repair the damage caused by centuries of violence and discrimination. The total number of victims of the slave trade is difficult to estimate.
• The Role of Christianity in Slavery: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Religion is an efficient tool of persuasion. The owners used faith to control the workers and claimed to be virtuous since they prayed regularly.
• Changes in the Character of Slavery in North America Colonial North America became the first continent on which the slave system took root and developed on a colossal scale.
• Haiti: From Slavery to Emancipation The Haitian Revolution had a significant impact on the African American movements and the subsequent abolition of slavery in many countries of America.
• Douglass’s Arguments on Slavery Abolition The cotton culture became not only the basis for international trade and violence of Native Americans but also the desire for social justice.
• Impacts of Slavery on the Antebellum USA This article is about the impact of slavery on the American economy, society, and politics before the Civil War.
• Treatment of Women During Slavery in the North American Colonies Slave reproduction was considered to be good in the North American colonies, the region where the greatest slave population growth was recorded.
• Abolitionists and Early Anti-slavery Movements Abolitionism was the movement to end slavery. Black and white abolitionists in the first half of the nineteenth century waged a biracial assault against slavery.
• Geography of Slavery in Virginia One of the prime examples of slavery’s impact on the lives of human beings is the slavery patterns in Virginia in the 18th and 19th centuries.
• The History of Slavery: Its Formation and Development Historically, slavery was spread across the world, taking many forms, nowadays it is seen as a quintessence of injustice, which brought suffering to many people, and is forbidden.
• History of Slavery and Contemporary Society The study should provide comprehensive information on the influence of slavery and its history on the contemporary world and its people.
• Rise of Slavery and Slave Trade Main Reasons In the Atlantic Ocean Basin Between 1400 and 1750 The main reason for the rise of the Atlantic slave trade between 1400 and 1750 was the importance of colonies for the development of the economy of European countries.
• Southern Whites Defending Slavery Analysis This paper will attempt to explore the common moral justifications of slavery and the reasons why they appeared.
• Historical Implications of Slavery and the Role of the United States in It Throughout the 1830s and 1860s, most slaves gained freedom by escaping from their masters, which was dangerous and often resulted in them being captured.
• Fight Over Slavery of the Southern Population An increasing number of anti-slavery politicians and supporters of emancipation contributed to the paranoia among the Southern population.
• History of Slavery: Slaves and Servants in Virginia The history of slavery in Virginia traces back to the 1600s, as it was found as the colony of the English through the London Virginia Company.
• Post-Slavery Abolishment United States This paper discusses the post-Civil war period’s issues with the South, paces of industrialization and business development, and expansion to the West after slavery abolishment.
• America: A Culture Around Slavery American cultural background, reflected in the practice of sending Africans and blacks into slavery, as well as the position of women in slavery and the sale of their bodies.
• Sectionalism and Slavery in American History Sectionalism and slavery are important topics in American history. Sectionalism refers to the divide that was created between the northern and southern territories.
• Slavery Operation Institution and Its Impacts to Slaves Slavery was indeed the worst crime against humanity in that era, a lot of people suffered from mistreatment some even dying.
• Child Slavery and Sexual Trafficking Child slavery is a business, which brings milliards of dollars to its owners, a reality of our world. Many people believe that it happens somewhere far away and not in our community.
• Abraham Lincoln’s Policies on Slavery in 1861-1863 Abraham Lincoln was one the most powerful presidents of the United States. The essay explains the evolution of Lincoln’s policies on slavery from July 1861 to November 1863.
• Readings on Slavery and Racial Segregation in the US Certain themes expressed in the readings are too surprising to be true. Many years after slavery was abandoned, the black generation still suffered its consequences.
• Slavery as a Peculiar Institution When slavery was defined as a peculiar institution, it was thought to mean a distinctive aspect of the people of the US who had embraced it.
• Slavery in the South: Definite or Indefinite? This paper will try to explore what doomed slavery in the South by the eve of the Civil War. It will try to discuss whether the institution could have been maintained indefinitely.
• The North and South of America and a Slavery Revealition of the sub-regional diffrences between the North and the South due to the opposing points of view as to abolishment of slavery.
• The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and Slavery Abolishment Slave trade carried out mostly in the 17th-18th centuries encompassed the capturing, selling, and purchase of people for the sole purpose of forced labor.
• International Child Trafficking: The Modern Slavery The modern-day slavery represented by the millions of children who cross borders as sex slaves should turn the blot into a wound.
• Slavery and the House Divided: Dred Scott Case Dred Scott case was argued twice and the last term argument brought about differences of opinion among the members of the court.
• Labor Exploitation and Slavery Employment mistreatment is associated with remorseless communal relations where a fastidious cluster is treated unjustly to profit the other revelry.
• Slavery and Literacy. The Triumph of a Poor Slave Olaudah Equiano begins his story by telling readers how he was being kidnapped by the members of rivaling tribe in his native Africa while still a child and turned into a slave.
• Major Slavery Events Between 1850-1860 The essay describes the crucial historical events that caused the complete slavery abolition that took place between 1850 and 1860.
• Transnational Labour, Slavery, and Revolt Nowadays The theory of class conflict paints history as a never-ending series of struggles between different classes in order to achieve political and economic dominance.
• Slavery and Its Impact on Modern Social Relations Slavery used to be a part of the history of many countries. This paper aims at investigating the history of slavery and its influence on modern social relations.
• Impact of Slavery on Modern Society Slavery casts a dark shadow on the history of the United States, and knowing about the devastating impact it had on generations of people is fundamental.
• Transformations in Slavery and Effects of Slavery on Society In order to provide an adequate periodization of slavery, it is critical to distinguish between incidental and systematic slavery.
• Concepts of Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery Fighting class inequality is one of the most controversial topics in American history, and the role of some human rights defenders in eradicating this dangerous trend is significant.
• Slavery Concepts in Africa Slavery existed in Africa in the form of servitude long before Europeans landed on the continent and commercialized the practice.
• Slavery vs. Indentured Servitude in North America The first Europeans settled in North America began to buy Africans in order to provide farm labor. Such individuals or plantation owners treated them as servants.
• Slavery Impact on Modern American Society Slavery casts a dark shadow on the history of the US, and knowing about the devastating impact is fundamental. The paper investigates the impact of slavery on modern society.
• Slavery in Africa After European Colonization Slavery existed among most modern societies, including African. Even before the European colonization and the onset of the slave trade, it was a part of the culture.
• Slavery in Africa and British American Colonies In the middle of the seventeenth century, the British American colonies were strongly connected to and ruled by the motherland.
• Slavery Practices of Africans vs. Europeans Even though slavery had existed among African peoples prior to the European slave trade, its conditions were significantly different when comparing these two regions.
• Slavery in African vs. European Countries In historical time, slavery in Africa had various forms which sometimes did not correspond to the concept of slavery adopted in the rest of the world.
• History: Transnational Labor, Slavery, and Revolt Slavery is a tragedy and one of the darkest pages of human history. At present, slavery is officially prohibited in all countries of the world.
• Modern Slavery: Consequences and Countermeasures The relevance of the problem of slavery is statistically confirmed, and certain measures and interventions can help society to stop this danger.
• Slavery in “The Satyricon” Novel by Petronius The excellent Roman novel, Satyricon, by Gaius Petronius, is a suitable platform, from which the subject of slavery gets a different approach.
• The Impact of Slavery Slavery had a massive impact upon the development of the United States of America and on the transformation of the African-American ethnic group into the way it currently is.
• Colonialism and Slavery in American History This essay discusses reasons for colonization by the European countries and compares the slave experience in the upper South and the lower South.
• Slavery and Civil War: American History American history is defined by slavery. The founding fathers of America, in the 17th and 18th century, grew the economy through slave labor.
• How Frederick Douglass Escaped Slavery? When Douglas managed to escape from slavery and safely landed in New York, he felt that he had come to a completely new world. He compares a day in New York to a year in slavery.
• The Issue of Slavery and the State’s Rights This paper seeks to find out whether the issue of slavery and the state’s rights were important in the secession process and the role of the northern abolition movement.
• The History of Slavery and Its Impacts This paper argues that a majority of the stated discriminatory issues that are witnessed in contemporary society are the effects of slavery.
• The Impact of Slavery on the Development of the USA In this paper, the researcher analyzes the history of slavery in order to identify the impact it had on the development of the US. Slavery is an alien concept to the modern citizens of the USA.
• Thomas Jefferson and the Concept of Slavery Jefferson stated that Native Americans were unspoiled by the sins of the developed world despite advocating for their extinction.
• The Slavery Question: Destiny and Sectional Discord The nation was split into those who believed that the slavery question had been successfully resolved and those who saw its threat to American society.
• Development of the Northern Slavery System in America In one form or another slavery had been existing in any part of the world. There is hardly a nation that has managed to avoid this terrible form of a social development.
• Slavery Impact on the United States’ Development Slavery is an alien concept to the modern citizens of the United States of America. Since late 19th century, this undemocratic institution has been abolished in the US.
• The History of Slavery: Impacts on Contemporary Society Slavery is one of the most harmful concepts devised by humans. This paper will provide an overview of the history of slavery, as well as the effects it has on the modern society.
• Slavery’s Impact on Contemporary Society This study reveals that the history of slavery influences the politics of the United States, the identity of African-Americans, and the education system.
• Slavery in Different Periods of American History The paper investigates the history of slavery in the United State by analyzing E. Berenson’s textbook, Cabet’s voyage to Icaria, and K. Marx ‘The American Civil War’.
• Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking and Poverty Be it through the sexual enslavement of girls or trafficking of males for forced labor, slavery has had a tremendous impact on modern society.
• Modern Slavery, Its Consequences and Countermeasures The relevance of the problem of slavery is statistically confirmed, and certain measures and interventions can help society to stop this danger.
• Contemporary Slavery: Sex Trafficking Sex trafficking is an outlawed business practised by several countries around the globe. Sex trafficking immensely contributes to both local and international migrations.
• History of Slavery and Its Impacts The concept of slavery in the contemporary society has undergone a gradual transformation. Modern forms of slavery include forced labor, child exploitation, sexual abuse, and human trafficking.
• The History of Slavery and Contemporary Society Slavery is one of the most harmful concepts devised by humans. This paper will provide an overview of the history of slavery, as well as the effects it has on modern society.
• History of Slavery and Its Impact on Contemporary Society Slavery is the period that cannot be forgotten, and the relations that were developed between people during the slavery period influenced the way of how people treat each other today.
• Human Trafficking as a Modern-Day Slavery Problem The paper discusses the anti-trafficking measures of international organizations, such as UN, UNICEF, and UNESCO. The laws enacted by these organizations are further mentioned.
• Slavery in Women’s and Men’s Narratives H. Jacobs’ “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” tells one of the perverted cases of sexual harassment. F. Douglas wanted to shoot down some pro-slavery arguments.
• Slavery in the American Society Slavery is one of the historical events that characterize the American society since many people lost their lives in trying to prevent it while others decided to shift to other places.
• Slavery Emancipation in Cuba, Haiti, and Brazil Slavery was viewed as both an infringement of human rights in addition to the existence of forced labor. Numerous differences existed in the manner in which slaves were treated across the globe.
• Defending Slavery: Termination of Slavery and Slave Trade in South America The United States amended its constitution in 1865 in an attempt to abolish the slave trade. However, the amendment only led to a decline in slavery.
• Documentary: Slavery and the Making of America by Betty Wood Slavery and the making of America (2013) is an interesting documentary which tells different stories. Thus, it depicts the way people became slaves and the way they were sold and resold.
• When Did Slavery Start in History?
• Who First Started Slavery in Africa?
• Did Racism Precede Slavery?
• Did Slavery Create More Benefits or Problems for the Nation?
• Did Southerners Favor Slavery?
• Who Ended Slavery?
• Who Abolished Slavery First?
• Did Thomas Jefferson Want to End Slavery?
• When Did Slavery End in Africa?
• What Country Still Has Slavery?
• What Were the Main Causes of Slavery?
• Have Historians Over Emphasised the Slavery Issue as a Cause of the Civil War?
• Is Slavery Still Legal in Texas?
• How African Americans Were Treated During the Slavery Period?
• Why Did the North Not Support Slavery?
• How Did Slavery Start the Civil War?
• How Did African American Slavery Help Shape America?
• How Did African American Women Deal With and Survive Slavery?
• Is Slavery Legal in Canada?
• What Explains Slavery Was Milder in the North?
• How Does the Legacy of Slavery Continue to Impact Both Blacks and Whites?
• What Were Abraham Lincoln’s Feelings About Slavery?
• What Contributed to the Spread of Slavery in the Southern American Colonies Between 1607 and 1775?
• What Are Edmund Morgan’s Thesis and Argument About Slavery?
• What Is a Modern Day Example of Slavery?
• Where Is Slavery Most Common Today?
• Does Slavery Still Exist in Today’s World?
• What Are the Characteristics of Slavery in New York?
• Is Slavery Illegal in the World?
• What Created the Differences Between the North and South Concerning Slavery?

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7 key questions about the transatlantic slave trade – answered

Professor James Walvin answers seven questions about the transatlantic slave trade – from why it was Africans who were enslaved to the reparations that have been made since abolition…

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Why was it Africans who were enslaved?

Europeans developed the Atlantic slave trade , and American plantation slavery, at a time when they had turned their back on slavery at home. African slavery was encountered in the early European trading missions, but it was the shortage of labour in the Americas that sealed the Africans’ fate. The swift collapse of the population of native peoples in the Americas through disease, and the relative scarcity of European labour, made the development of American settlements tenuous. Neither European free labour nor Amerindian labour (free or enslaved) was adequate to the tasks of mining precious metals or cultivating tropical and semi-tropical produce. African slavery offered a solution, not least because it had been tried with great success on the sugar plantations in the islands in the Gulf of Guinea. Thus, at a time when the idea of enslaving fellow Europeans had disappeared, settlers in the Americas found African slaves an irresistible temptation.

A range of cultural justifications were offered for the enslavement and transportation of Africans as slaves, while Europeans quickly developed the maritime skills and practices needed to transport Africans in large numbers across the Atlantic. In the process, African slavery developed not merely as a vital economic force but as a legal concept. Laws governing slave ships and colonial plantation slavery evolved, and all hinged on the concept of the slave as a thing . Africans were bought and sold in the same manner as other items of commerce: they were cargo on board ships and part of the property on plantations. From the first, this created obvious legal and philosophical problems. What happened to slaves when they stepped ashore in the free societies of Europe? Did European rights apply to Africans? What were the boundaries between freedom and enslavement? Such questions, in various forms, taxed slave-holding societies throughout the history of African slavery. They were only finally resolved when the abolitionist concept 'Am I not a man/woman and a brother/sister?' was conceded in law in the course of the 19th century.

Learn more:

• A brief guide and timeline of the transatlantic slave trade
• David Olusoga: “Thousands of Britons opposed abolition – because they owned slaves”
• The road to abolition in Britain

Why did the slave trade last so long?

Over three centuries, more than 12 million Africans were removed by Atlantic slave ships. More than 11 million survived to landfall in the Americas. Why did the trade last so long? Why did such huge numbers not create viable, thriving populations that increased of their own natural accord?

Firstly, the sexual composition of the captives was important. Where the sexual balance was uneven (with more men or more children), it was difficult for a slave population to grow naturally. Equally, the ill health of Africans landing on the slave ships often militated against normal or healthy patterns of childbearing. The physical and mental traumas of enslavement and travel, and especially the impact of the slave ships, impaired healthy reproduction, not to mention working and living conditions on the plantations. More complex still was the question of links between Africans and Europeans. In societies where slaves greatly outnumbered whites and where Africans dominated the slave force, African customs and habits persisted. Prolonged breast-feeding (common among many African women) tended to suppress the birth rate. Where female slaves had closer social links to European women (who tended to have shorter breast-feeding patterns), slave birth rates tended to be higher.

Once local-born slave women entered child-bearing years, they tended to have more children than African women. This pattern emerged in the Caribbean and in the North American colonies. One result was that the newly formed USA had a growing slave population, and no longer required slaves from Africa. However, where new frontiers and industries opened up – around coffee in Brazil and sugar in Cuba, for instance – large numbers of Africans continued to be imported from Africa. Hence the survival of the slave trade well into the 19th century.

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Why did the west turn against slavery.

For much of its history, the Atlantic slave system had few critics. Moreover, their voices were usually drowned out by the wealth generated by successful slaving. That began to change, quickly, after the declaration of American independence in 1776. The rise of a new political and religious sensibility – part Enlightenment, part theological – prompted the rise of a widespread abolition sentiment. Though the vested interests of slave trading (merchants, traders and planters) fought a dogged rearguard action, the slaves’ cause became a tide that undermined the slave system. Revolutionary and wartime violence corroded slavery. And so too did the actions of the slaves themselves. Their voices and actions, their defiance, resistance and flight, helped tip the balance. When the west became abolitionist, the most persuasive critics had been the slaves and their allies, who promoted the cause of freedom. And the most persuasive evidence was the horror stories that emerged from the bellies of the slave ships.

How did slavery tie into the global economy?

Much of our understanding about slavery has been defined by national boundaries (slavery in the US, in Jamaica, in Brazil , etc.) But innovative research on the Atlantic slave trade has exposed slavery as a ubiquitous, global force. For all the obvious boundaries of national interests – in colonial, trading and military affairs – slavery had global consequences. There were extensive trading routes (not unlike the old silk routes) which bound Atlantic slavery to a wider world economy. Goods from Asia found their way onto Atlantic slave ships. Slave-grown produce could, by the late 18th century, be found in far-flung global locations. The profits from slaving enabled western consumers to acquire luxury goods from China – a country that even used silver from the high Andes as its currency. Africans were scattered to all corners of the globe – and so too were the commodities they produced.

For all the obvious boundaries of national interests – in colonial, trading and military affairs – slavery had global consequences

Although the Atlantic slave trade was physically defined by the ocean, its consequences were global, from Africa to the American frontiers – where, for example, great damage was inflicted on native peoples by slave-grown rum, which was exchanged for pelts and furs. More crucially, the importation of African slaves to the Americas helped create a platform for the remarkable material development of the Americas. The slave ships thus contributed to laying the foundations from which the modern world emerged.

What happened to slavery after abolition?

The west turned against slavery and the slave trade – slowly – in the 19th century. In 1800, no western state had abolished it. By 1888, it had gone. Or had it? The new imperial determination to end the practice – especially in Africa – uncovered slavery and slave trading everywhere. Western powers now used their military and diplomatic might to stop it (though doing so was often a means of strengthening their own interests). The late-century outcry about atrocities and slavery in the Congo Free State revealed how far the west had turned against slaving. Navies and diplomats united in curbing slave trading in Africa, Arabia and the sea lanes linking them. Long before 1914, abolition had, in the words of Seymour Drescher, become the “gold standard of civilisation”.

And yet slavery re-emerged in the 20th century. The rise of the Soviet Union, with its massive use of forced labour, and especially the Nazis’ vast conquests and enslavement of millions, presented a deeply troubling development in slavery’s history. The practice had been revived, not in distant colonies but in Europe’s heartlands.

After 1945, the drive to put an end to slavery was taken over by agencies of the United Nations. Despite this, it lived on. Scholars reckon that upwards of 40 million people are in slavery today – including trafficked people, child labourers and those entangled in a raft of forms of unfree labour. Slave trafficking thrives because of dire poverty, warfare, corruption and dysfunctional government. The question remains, however: is modern trafficking the same as the Atlantic slave trade?

Was the slave trade a holocaust?

The Atlantic slave trade is sometimes described as a holocaust . But is this an appropriate or accurate description? No serious student can contest the enormous human damage that spread over such an enormous period of time and space. Nor do serious scholars dispute the levels of suffering and mortality involved on the pestilential slave ships. We need, however, to consider the purpose of the Atlantic slave trade. It aimed to secure enslaved people for the labour markets of the Americas. It was a trade that reduced its African victims to the status of chattel: objects to be bought and sold. At each point of that complex trade – in Africa, on the Atlantic coast and in the slave markets of the Americas – all sides involved hoped for profitable business. And everywhere the story was the same: the weaker and less suitable the enslaved victims, the lower their commercial value.

The human suffering involved – in Africa, on the coast, on the ships and later on the plantations – must not deceive us. Capricious and institutional cruelty was commonplace. Often it was used to secure greater effort from the enslaved. But even in the harshest of shipboard or plantation regimes, commercial profit remained the aim. Though the slave trade involved cruelty and suffering on an extraordinary scale, the purpose was not to damage or destroy the slaves, but to secure the best return from them. So is ‘holocaust’ the best description?

Have reparations been made since abolition?

British slave owners shared £20m compensation for the loss of their slaves after 1833. Except for their freedom, the slaves received nothing. US slaves had been promised 40 acres and a mule, but they too got nothing. Though mentioned by some abolitionists, the question of compensation for the slaves – for their loss of liberty, and for their enforced labour from one generation to another – was not seriously considered. In recent years, however, the debate about compensation has resurfaced. The foundations were laid by the post-1945 legal and political settlement of German and Austrian debts. The Nuremberg trials and a string of legal disputes established a link between the concept of crimes against humanity and compensation. This became the basis and inspiration for contemporary campaigns in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and the Americas for reparations for slavery. The campaign gained strength when adopted by the UN.

Today, the question has become an inescapable feature in political argument on both sides of the Atlantic. It is a debate that, inevitably, draws on historical scholarship. Historians of slavery regularly face questions about reparations: a reminder that, today, slavery still matters. It matters not simply as an important aspect of our historical past, but as a critical ingredient in a complex modern political debate.

James Walvin is professor emeritus of history at the University of York and author of The Slave Trade (Thames & Hudson, 2011) and Freedom: The Overthrow of the Slave Empires (Robinson, 2019).

This article was first published in the November 2019 issue of BBC History Magazine

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Introductory Essay: Slavery and the Struggle for Abolition from the Colonial Period to the Civil War

How did the principles of the Declaration of Independence contribute to the quest to end slavery from colonial times to the outbreak of the Civil War?

• I can explain how slavery became codifed over time in the United States.
• I can explain how Founding principles in the Declaration of Independence strengthened anti-slavery thought and action.
• I can explain how territorial expansion intensified the national debate over slavery.
• I can explain various ways in which African Americans secured their own liberty from the colonial era to the Civil War.
• I can explain how African American leaders worked for the cause of abolition and equality.

Essential Vocabulary

Slavery and the struggle for abolition from the colonial period to the civil war.

The English established their first permanent settler colony in a place they called Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Early seventeenth-century Virginia was abundant in land and scarce in laborers. Initially, the labor need was met mostly by propertyless English men and women who came to the new world as indentured servants hoping to become landowners themselves after their term of service ended. Such servitude was generally the status, too, of Africans in early British America, the first of whom were brought to Virginia by a Dutch vessel in 1619. But within a few decades, indentured servitude in the colonies gave way to lifelong, hereditary slavery, imposed exclusively on black Africans.

Because forced labor (whether indentured servitude or slavery) was a longstanding and common condition, the injustice of slavery troubled relatively few settlers during the colonial period. Southern colonies in particular codified slavery into law. Slavery became hereditary, with men, women, and children bought and sold as property, a condition known as chattel slavery . Opposition to slavery was mainly concentrated among Quakers , who believed in the equality of all men and women and therefore opposed slavery on moral grounds. Quaker opposition to slavery was seen as early as 1688, when a group of Quakers submitted a formal protest against the institution for discussion at a local meeting.

Anti-slavery sentiment strengthened during the era of the Revolution and Founding. Founding principles, based on natural law proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and in several state constitutions, added philosophical force to biblically grounded ideas of human equality and dignity. Those principles informed free and enslaved blacks, including Prince Hall, Elizabeth Freeman, Quock Walker, and Belinda Sutton, who sent anti slavery petitions to state legislatures. Their powerful appeal to natural rights moved legislators and judges to implement the first wave of emancipation in the United States. Immediate emancipation in Massachusetts, gradual emancipation in other northern states, and private manumission in the upper South dealt blows against slavery and freed tens of thousands of people.

Slavery remained deeply entrenched and thousands remained enslaved, however, in states in both the upper and lower South , even as northern leaders believed the practice was on its way to extinction. The result was the set of compromises the Framers inscribed into the U.S. Constitution—lending slavery important protections but also preparing for its eventual abolition. The Constitution did not use the word “slave” or “slavery,” instead referring to those enslaved as “persons.” James Madison, the “father” of the Constitution, thus thought the document implicitly denied the legitimacy of a claim of property in another human being. The Constitution also restricted slavery’s growth by allowing Congress to ban the slave trade after 20 years. Out of those compromises grew extended controversies, however, the most heated and dangerous of which concerned the treatment of fugitive slaves and the status of slavery in federal territories.

The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 renewed and enhanced slavery’s profitability and expansion, which intensified both attachment and opposition to it. The first major flare-up occurred in 1819, when a dispute over whether Missouri would be admitted to the Union as a slave state or a free state generated threats of civil war among members of Congress. The adoption of the Missouri Compromise in 1820 quelled the anger for a time. But the dispute was reignited in the 1830s and continued to inflame the country’s political life through the Civil War.

A cotton gin on display at the Eli Whitney Museum by Tom Murphy VII, 2007.

“U.S. Cotton Production 1790–1834” by Bill of Rights Institute/Flickr, CC BY 4.0

Separating the sticky seeds from cotton fiber was slow, painstaking work. Eli Whitney’s cotton gin (gin being southern slang for engine) made the task much simpler, and cotton production in the lower South exploded. Cotton planters and their slaves moved to Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama to start new cotton plantations. Many planters in the Chesapeake region sold their slaves to cotton planters in the lower South. This created a massive interstate slave trade that transferred enslaved persons through auctions and forced marches in chains and that also broke up many slave families.

In 1831, in Virginia, a large-scale slave rebellion led by Nat Turner resulted in the deaths of approximately 60 whites and more than 100 blacks and generated alarm throughout the South. That same decade saw the emergence of a radicalized (and to a degree racially integrated) abolitionist movement, led by Massachusetts activist William Lloyd Garrison, and an equally radicalized pro slavery faction, led by U.S. Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina.

The polarization sharpened in subsequent decades. The Mexican-American War (1846–1848) brought large new western territories under U.S. control and renewed the contention in Congress over the status of slavery in federal territories. The complex 1850 Compromise, which included a new fugitive slave law heavily weighted in favor of slaveholders’ interests, did little to restore calm.

A few years later, Congress reopened the Kansas and Nebraska territories to slavery, thereby undoing the 1820 Missouri Compromise and rendering any further compromises unlikely. The U.S. Supreme Court tried vainly to settle the controversy by issuing, in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), the most pro-slavery ruling in its history. In 1858, Abraham Lincoln, a rising figure in the newly born Republican Party, declared the United States a “house divided” between slavery and freedom. In late 1859, militant abolitionist John Brown alarmed the South when he attempted to liberate slaves by taking over a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He was promptly captured, tried, and executed and thereupon became a martyr for many northern abolitionists.

Watch this BRI Homework Help video: Dred Scott v. Sandford for more information on the pivotal Dred Scott decision.

Leaders such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, Harriet Tubman, and James Forten all worked for the cause of abolition and equality.

As the debate over slavery continued on the national stage, formerly enslaved and free black men and women spoke out against the evils of slavery. Slave narratives such as those by Frederick Douglass, Solomon Northrup, and Harriet Jacobs humanized the experience of slavery. Their vivid, heartbreaking accounts of their own enslavement strengthened the moral cause of abolition. At the same time, enslaved men and women made the brave and dangerous decision to run away. Some ran on their own, and others used the Underground Railroad, a network of secret “conductors” and “stations” that helped enslaved people escape to the North and, after 1850, to Canada. The most famous of these conductors was Harriet Tubman, who traveled to the South about 12 times to lead approximately 70 men and women to freedom. Free blacks faced their own challenges. Leaders such as Benjamin Banneker, James Forten, David Walker, and Maria Stewart spoke out against racist attitudes and laws that sought to limit their political and civil rights.

This map shows the concentration of slaves in the southern United States as derived from the 1860 U.S. Census. The so-called “Border states”—Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and after 1863, West Virginia—allowed slavery but remained loyal to the Union. Credit: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

By 1860, the atmosphere in the United States was combustible. With the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency in November of that year, the conflict over slavery came to a head. Since Lincoln and Republicans opposed the expansion of slavery and called it a moral evil, seven slaveholding states declared their secession from the United States. And in April 1861, the war came. The next five years of conflict and bloodshed determined the fate of enslaved men, women, and children, and of the Union itself.

Reading Comprehension Questions

• What actions were taken to oppose slavery in the colonial period and Founding era?
• Why did the Constitution not use the words “slave” or “slavery”?
• The invention of the cotton gin
• The Mexican-American War
• Dred Scott v. Sandford
• The election of Abraham Lincoln as president
• How did formerly enslaved and free black men and women fight to end slavery?

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Essay Samples on Slavery

"up from slavery" by booker t. washington: a reading response.

Introduction Throughout Booker T. Washington’s biography Up from Slavery, the approach that he takes in searching for unification between races brings the audience closer to the concern of life after emancipation. The endless struggle that Washington faces to pave a way from a plantation to...

• American History

How Slavery Affected African American People

In the current political and social climate, race is being pushed more and more to the forefront. There is much discussion about just how far-reaching the effects of slavery have been to African American people but also, to the United States of America and their...

• African American History

Economic and Political Role of Slavery in the United States

Behind the cruel, unjust representation of slavery lies a transgressing business that was profitable to the nation. Slavery in the united states significantly contributed to the economic standards of the 1800s. The economy of the South was completely dependent on labor-intensive tasks completed by slaves....

Slavery in the United States: Racism in American Society

There were many things that were happening during the reconstruction but the one that stood out most was racism. Racism impacted America for a long time and has brought many changes in the people and how America works too. The African Americans and the white...

• African American
• Segregation

Why Is Slavery Wrong Yesterday And Today

 It's dark cold stormy night but we got to keep moving or shots fired. Run let's go hurry we got to the gate but heard people behind us and it's him go then they were never seen again. But this terrible thing is called slavery....

• Human Trafficking
• Slave Trade

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Frederick Douglass`s "Escape From Slavery": Rhetorical Analysis

In the excerpt, Frederick Douglass describes his feelings about how he escaped slavery by running away to New York in 1838. At the time, slavery still existed in the states, more so in the Southern states than the Northern states. This resulted in Douglass escaping...

• Frederick Douglass

The Social Problem Of Slavery And Mass Incarceration

Our justice is blind to race…Our education is unaware of race matters in America. As a result, opportunities are limited because of the lack of concern due to the color of our skin. For generations in the United States, ethnic minorities have been discriminated against...

Human Trafficking Not Historical Fact but Nowadays Disease

The topic I decided to do for my vice and narcotics class I felt like was something others would like to know about is on human trafficking, I find it so hard to believe it still goes on you would think it would have came...

• Slavery in The World

Internal US Conflict in the 19th Century: Pro-Slavery vs Anti-Slavery

During the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, the debate over slavery was the paramount force that was conducting the political life in America; it lead to the deaths of millions and provoked social tensions that lasted for more than a century. The division...

• 19Th Century

Documentation Of African American Struggles During The Slavery Period

African Americans in revolutionary Massachusetts presented five petitions to the state’s government for the abolition of slavery. Each written with genius using the same terminology and buzzwords, to build on past explorations in order to better situate these petitions within their political, social, and legal...

• Phillis Wheatley

Misrepresentation Of The African Continent In Cape Town

Africa is the hotbed of rich culture and resources. It has gained the attention of the Western world and the fascination of Africa has placed Africa outside the norm, due to its flawed representation. Cultural theorists Stuart Hall defines representation as the production of the...

• Cultural Identity
• Mental Slavery

The History And Impact Of Abolitionism In Cleveland

Abolitionism was a movement that set out to abolish slavery and put an end to the Atlantic slave trade. Abolitionism has a rich history in Cleveland as the city was a big part of the movement. One of the most integral parts of Abolitionism was...

• Abolitionism

Aphra Behn's Great Deception: Oroonoko Or, The Royal Slave

Virginia Woolf once wrote: 'all women ought to let flowers fall upon the grave of Aphra Behn, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.' Mainly working as a playwright, Behn released several works from poetry to prose fiction, chronicling...

Nat Turner: The Courageous Leader of a Historical Slave Revolt

Introduction On August 21, 1831, a significant event in history unfolded when Nat Turner, an exceptional man born into slavery, orchestrated one of the most infamous slave revolts ever seen. This notorious uprising took place in Southampton, Virginia, and was masterfully led by Nat Turner...

Historical Significance Of Jourdon Anderson's Letter: A Free Man's Letter

Jourdon Anderson was once an enslaved African American whose former owner was Colonel P.H. Anderson. Colonel Anderson had written to Jourdon sometime after Jourdon became freed around August 7, 1865 and wanted him and his family to come back to Tennessee and work for and...

• Jourdon Anderson's Letter

Best topics on Slavery

1. “Up from Slavery” by Booker T. Washington: a Reading Response

2. How Slavery Affected African American People

3. Economic and Political Role of Slavery in the United States

4. Slavery in the United States: Racism in American Society

5. Why Is Slavery Wrong Yesterday And Today

6. Frederick Douglass`s “Escape From Slavery”: Rhetorical Analysis

7. The Social Problem Of Slavery And Mass Incarceration

8. Human Trafficking Not Historical Fact but Nowadays Disease

9. Internal US Conflict in the 19th Century: Pro-Slavery vs Anti-Slavery

10. Documentation Of African American Struggles During The Slavery Period

11. Misrepresentation Of The African Continent In Cape Town

12. The History And Impact Of Abolitionism In Cleveland

13. Aphra Behn’s Great Deception: Oroonoko Or, The Royal Slave

14. Nat Turner: The Courageous Leader of a Historical Slave Revolt

15. Historical Significance Of Jourdon Anderson’s Letter: A Free Man’s Letter

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Writing Prompts about Slavery

• 🗃️ Essay topics
• ❓ Research questions
• 📝 Topic sentences
• 🪝 Essay hooks
• 📑 Thesis statements
• 🔀 Hypothesis examples
• 🧐 Personal statements

🔗 References

🗃️ essay topics about slavery.

• The history and origins of slavery.
• Abraham Lincoln, slavery and the Civil War.
• Slavery in Ancient Greece and Rome.
• The role of slavery in the American Revolution.
• The impact of slavery on the development of American capitalism.
• The role of slave rebellions in ending slavery.
• An essay on Thomas Jefferson’s notes on the state of Virginia.
• The impact of slavery on American culture and society.
• The psychological effects of slavery on enslaved individuals.
• The role of women in slavery.
• The impact of slavery on Native American communities.
• Social and personal responsibility in the Movement.
• The role of Christianity in justifying and opposing slavery.
• The portrayal of slavery in film and media.
• The history and legacy of slavery in the Caribbean.
• The role of slavery in the Haitian Revolution.
• The legacy of slavery in the criminal justice system.
• Human trafficking research paper.
• The intersection of slavery and capitalism in the global economy.
• The relationship between slavery and modern-day human trafficking.
• The role of slavery in the Civil War.
• The impact of slavery on the development of the American South.
• The role of education in the fight against slavery.
• The American Civil War causes.
• The impact of slavery on modern-day labor practices.

❓ Research Questions on Slavery

• How did the concept of slavery develop throughout history?
• How did the abolition of slavery impact the lives of formerly enslaved individuals?
• What were slavery’s various forms and manifestations?
• What were the main similarities and differences between different forms of slavery?
• How did slave resistance ashape the decline of slavery?
• How did the institution of slavery contribute to the development of racial hierarchies and ideologies?
• What was the role of gender in the experience of slavery?
• How did slavery shape the development of the plantation system?
• How did the institution of slavery contribute to the development of colonialism and imperialism?
• How did the legacy of slavery impact the development of race relations?
• What were the main economic, social, and cultural factors that contributed to the decline of slavery?
• What were the key legal battles that contributed to the abolition of slavery?
• How did the institution of slavery contribute to the development of cultural and artistic forms?
• How did slave resistance and rebellion shape the course of slavery in different regions?
• How did the institution of slavery shape the economic, social, and political development?

📝 Topic Sentences about Slavery

• The institution of slavery played a critical role in shaping the economic, social, and political development of the United States, and its legacy continues to be felt in contemporary society.
• The legacy of slavery continues to be felt in contemporary American society, as issues of race, inequality, and social justice remain central concerns for many individuals and communities.
• Enslaved individuals used a variety of strategies, including resistance, rebellion, and cultural expression, to assert their humanity and dignity in the face of the dehumanizing system of slavery.

🪝 Best Hooks for Slavery Paper

📍 definition hooks for essay about slavery.

• According to the United Nations, slavery is defined as “the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised.” This definition encompasses a range of historical and contemporary forms of slavery, including debt bondage, forced labor, and human trafficking.
• Scholars have offered a range of definitions of slavery over time, from the classical idea of a slave as a “living tool” to the more recent concept of “modern slavery” as a global phenomenon that encompasses a range of exploitative labor practices. Despite these different definitions, what remains constant is the fundamental injustice and dehumanization of individuals who are subjected to such systems.

📍 Statistical Hooks about Slavery for Essay

• According to the International Labour Organization, there are an estimated 40.3 million people living in some form of modern slavery around the world, with the highest prevalence found in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific region.
• The end of slavery in the United States did not lead to immediate equality for African Americans, as many were subjected to sharecropping, Jim Crow laws, and other forms of institutionalized discrimination that persisted well into the 20th century.

📍 Quotation Hooks for Essay on Slavery

• “Slavery is theft – theft of a life, theft of work, theft of any property or produce, theft even of the children a slave might have borne.” – Kevin Bales, Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy.
• “Slavery was not the peculiar institution of the South. It existed in every state of the Union, and was as firmly established in Massachusetts as in Georgia.” – Frederick Douglass

📑 Best Slavery Thesis Statements

✔️ argumentative thesis on slavery.

• Although slavery was formally abolished in the United States over 150 years ago, its legacy continues to shape the racial and economic inequalities that persist today, highlighting the need for ongoing efforts to address the systemic injustices that underlie our society.
• The legacy of slavery in the United States has created a system of institutionalized racism that continues to perpetuate inequality and discrimination against Black Americans, necessitating both reparative justice and systemic change in order to dismantle the structures that uphold this injustice.

✔️ Analytical Thesis Samples about Slavery

• By analyzing the narratives of enslaved individuals, this study aims to uncover the ways in which slavery impacted not only the physical bodies of those subjected to it, but also their psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being, highlighting the resilience and resistance of those who survived.
• The legacy of slavery in the United States continues to shape the country’s social, economic, and political landscape, as evidenced by persistent racial disparities and the ongoing struggle for reparations and racial justice.

✔️ Informative Thesis Examples on Slavery

• An exploration of the history of slavery in the United States reveals a complex and multi-layered system of exploitation, resistance, and cultural exchange that had a profound impact on American society, shaping both its economy and its cultural identity.
• Slavery, a system of forced labor prevalent in many societies throughout history, had a profound impact on the economy, politics, and culture of the countries that practiced it, leading to long-lasting consequences for enslaved individuals and their descendants.

🔀 Slavery Hypothesis Examples

• The prevalence of slavery in the agricultural industry had a significant impact on the development of early American capitalism.
• The abolition of slavery in the United States was not solely the result of moral or ethical concerns but rather was driven by economic and political factors.

🔂 Null & Alternative Hypothesis on Slavery

• Null hypothesis: There is no significant relationship between the legacy of slavery and the contemporary racial disparities in the United States.
• Alternative hypothesis: There is a significant relationship between the legacy of slavery and the contemporary racial disparities in the United States.

🧐 Examples of Personal Statement on Slavery

• I am acutely aware of the ways in which slavery has shaped my family’s history and the larger society. Through my studies, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the origins of this institution, its impact on individuals and communities, and the ongoing struggle for reparations and racial justice. Ultimately, I aspire to use my education to contribute to the fight against systemic racism and to promote greater social equity and inclusion.
• I am fascinated by the ways in which different societies have dealt with the legacy of slavery and other forms of oppression. Through my studies, I hope to gain a better understanding of the cultural, economic, and political factors that contribute to the persistence of these systems, as well as the diverse ways in which individuals and communities have resisted and overcome them.
• Shackled to the Past: The Causes and Consequences of Africa’s Slave Trades
• Slavery and Its Definition
• Capitalism & Slavery
• The Slave Trade and the Origins of Mistrust in Africa
• Slavery and the British Industrial Revolution

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Slavery — The Long-lasting Impact of Slavery on Society

The Long-lasting Impact of Slavery on Society

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Published: Mar 6, 2024

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Economic disparities, systemic inequalities.

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Twelve Years a Slave

by Solomon Northup

Twelve years a slave essay questions.

What are the "free papers" that Solomon has?

Solomon lived in a time in America when most black people were slaves. However, in some parts of the country, some slave owners could decide to free their slaves after a period of time, or the slaves could be released after their master died. Also, if a black man or woman had the financial means, they could buy their own freedom. To distinguish between black fugitive slaves and free black people, some states started issuing freedom papers and certificates of freedom. Those papers attested that a black person was indeed a free one. The papers were extremely important because, in some parts of the country, some men made a living by capturing runaway slaves and selling them again. The papers made sure that a free person remained free even if that person were captured by the police or by the aforementioned slave hunters. If a black person lost their freedom papers, they could no longer attest they were indeed free, meaning that they could be easily sold off as slaves once more.

Why did Solomon need a permit from his owner to travel to other places and plantations?

Solomon mentions how, in order to travel from one place to another, he needed to have a written permit from his master. The pass was necessary because it was a protection both for the slave and for the master. White men could legally stop a black man on the road and ask him whether he was a slave or not. If he was a slave, he needed to present them with a permit attesting the fact that his master allowed him to leave his property. If the slave did not have that permit, then he could be kidnapped and sold again. Through the permits, the slave owners were also protecting themselves by making sure that their property was not stolen from them.

Why did slaves still try to escape even though they knew there was a slim chance they will be successful?

Solomon mentions numerous slaves who tried at one point in their lives to run away from their masters. Some of the slaves were caught before escaping. or even in the act of escaping. and they were punished severely by the masters. Other times, the slaves were found by white men patrolling and then taken back to the masters who would beat them and humiliate them. When Solomon analyzed such incidents, he sometimes reached the conclusion that some slaves did not run away to be free, but rather just to have a few days to rest from the grueling tasks they were made to do. For them, being beaten and tortured was worth it if that meant having a few days to relax. Others wanted to make a choice for themselves—to live their own life. Others genuinely thought they would make it to freedom. Regardless of the motivation and the level of confidence in the success of the mission, running away gave slaves a sense of power and purpose.

Why are slave narratives valuable?

First, many Northerners either did not know the particulars of how horrible slavery was or they pretended not to notice them. Slave narratives made them conspicuous and undeniable. Second, they provided evidence against the word of slavery's sympathizers, correcting problematic assumptions and misunderstandings. Third, they provided undeniable evidence of their writer's humanity, and, by extension, the humanity of all slaves. Northerners could move beyond thinking of them as sub-human and see within slaves the same things that motivated them . Fourth, they were crucial tools for abolitionists, and their authors made valuable speakers. Fifth, to the writer who penned such a story, it could be a remarkably cathartic, meaningful, and important thing to do.

What are the particular difficulties that slave women and girls face?

Slave women face all of the troubles that slave men do—hard labor, separation from family, cruel punishments—but they also face troubles particular to their sex. From the time a slave girl hits puberty—and especially if she is beautiful, as Harriet Jacobs notes—she becomes prey for the master and other white men. She is a sexual object and she cannot say no to a white man's advances. She is privy to lewd words and leers, molestation, and rape. She may become pregnant with his child and forced to bring it into the world. Then, she may be separated from her children and suffer from not being able to protect them from the trials and tribulations of slavery. She often faces the mistress's wrath, as do her children by the master.

Twelve Years a Slave Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Twelve Years a Slave is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why did Solomon carve his initials into the tin cups?

Solomon cut their initials into the tin cups they were given aboard ship.

With a small pocket knife that had not been taken from me, I began cutting the initials of my name upon the tin cup. The others immediately flocked round me, requesting me...

This question is far too involved for a short-answer. I suggest you begin by reading through GradeSaver's theme page for the unit.

What is the symbolism of the the sentence,

The "monsters" represent the white men who lured Solomon away.

Study Guide for Twelve Years a Slave

Twelve Years a Slave study guide contains a biography of Solomon Northup, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Twelve Years a Slave
• Twelve Years a Slave Summary
• Character List

Essays for Twelve Years a Slave

Twelve Years a Slave essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup.

• A Literary Analysis of Twelve Years a Slave

Lesson Plan for Twelve Years a Slave

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Twelve Years a Slave
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Twelve Years a Slave Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Twelve Years a Slave

• Introduction
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Slavery Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on slavery.

Slavery is a term that signifies the injustice that is being carried out against humans since the 1600s. Whenever this word comes up, usually people picture rich white people ruling over black people. However, that is not the only case to exist. After a profound study, historians found evidence that suggested the presence of slavery in almost every culture. It was not essentially in the form of people working in the fields, but other forms. Slavery generally happens due to the division of levels amongst humans in a society. It still exists in various parts of the world. It may not necessarily be that hard-core, nonetheless, it happens.

Impact of Slavery

Slavery is one of the main causes behind racism in most of the cultures. It did severe damage to the race relations of America where a rift was formed between the whites and blacks.

The impact of Slavery has caused irreparable damage which can be seen to date. Even after the abolishment of slavery in the 1800s in America, racial tensions remained amongst the citizens.

In other words, this made them drift apart from each other instead of coming close. Slavery also gave birth to White supremacy which made people think they are inherently superior just because of their skin color and descendant.

Talking about the other forms of slavery, human trafficking did tremendous damage. It is a social evil which operates even today, ruining hundreds and thousands of innocent lives. Slavery is the sole cause which gave birth to all this.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

The Aftermath

Even though slavery was abolished over 150 years ago, the scars still remain. The enslaved still haven’t forgotten the struggles of their ancestors. It lives on in their hearts which has made them defensive more than usual. They resent the people whose ancestors brought it down on their lineage.

Even today many people of color are a victim of racism in the 21st century. For instance, black people face far more severe punishments than a white man. They are ridiculed for their skin color even today. There is a desperate need to overcome slavery and all its manifestations for the condition and security of all citizens irrespective of race, religion , social, and economic position .

In short, slavery never did any good to any human being, of the majority nor minority. It further divided us as humans and put tags on one another. Times are changing and so are people’s mindsets.

One needs to be socially aware of these evils lurking in our society in different forms. We must come together as one to fight it off. Every citizen has the duty to make the world a safer place for every human being to live in.

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• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave

Frederick Douglass

• Literature Notes
• Essay Questions
• Book Summary
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Garrison's Preface
• Letter From Wendell Phillips, Esq.
• Chapter III
• Chapter VII
• Chapter VIII
• Frederick Douglass Biography
• Critical Essays
• The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro
• The Autobiography as Genre, as Authentic Text
• Slavery as a Mythologized Institution
• Slavery in the United States
• The Fugitive Slave Act
• Slavery in Maryland
• Douglass' Canonical Status and the Heroic Tale
• Douglass' Other Autobiographies
• Full Glossary for The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave
• Cite this Literature Note

Study Help Essay Questions

1. Why do you think it was important for slave owners to keep slaves ignorant about their birthdays and parentage? Douglass opens his story by telling us that he is troubled by not knowing when he was born. Why is this fact so important to him?

2. List the turning points in Douglass' life. To what extent did his "take-charge" attitude create these turning points?

3. Douglass presents much of his narrative in a factual tone and avoids personal opinions, yet the story is full of emotion. How is this possible? Where do you find evidence of emotion?

4. What kind of hero is Douglass? Does his heroism come from his physical or mental state? Or does it come from both? Of the two types of heroes (physical or mental), which would he consider himself?

5. In Chapter II, Douglass expresses his belief that education will set him free. What does he mean by this? Is this essentially an optimistic view? If he could visit us today, do you think he would still hold this view?

6. Examine the films Roots and Glory, as well as music videos of Public Enemy; how do they portray slavery and black-white relationships in nineteenth-century America? Discuss the films and videos in terms of Douglass' Narrative.

7. Compare Douglass' depiction of the struggle of African Americans in white America with the narratives of such black writers as Maya Angelou, bell hooks, Alex Haley, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison. In what ways can Douglass' influence be seen in the works of later black writers?

8. Douglass' marriage to his white secretary in the later part of his life caused considerable discomfort among his white and black friends and acquaintances. Douglass had this to say about his marriage: "They would have no objections to my marrying a person much darker in complexion than myself, but to marry someone much lighter, and of the complexion of my father rather than my mother, was, in the popular eye, a shocking offense." To what extent have attitudes regarding interracial marriage changed? From his Narrative, what can you discern about his opinions regarding interracial marriage and/or procreation?

9. The interracial concerns and problems Douglass expressed still affect us today. How will these problems diminish? Consider a disunited and disenfranchised African-American population, alcoholism/drug addiction among African-Americans, and the matter of whites fearing that minorities will take their jobs away.

10. Various critics have placed Douglass' Narrative within the genres of Romanticism and also that of Realism. Does it belong to either category? Justify your claims.

11. The underlying assumption and philosophy of Douglass' Narrative is that humans can (and must) create their destiny. Comment on Douglass' philosophy, citing examples and illustrations.

12. Several times in his Narrative, Douglass expresses his view that slavery is bad for both whites and blacks. In what ways is slavery detrimental to the South?

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Slavery Essay

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Topic: Slavery in America

Slavery used to be an important resource in America, and the first workers were imported to Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619. There the African slaves were used to aid in the tobacco and cotton productions. There were many different opinions on this subject, but slavery was here to stay, at least for the next couple of centuries. Around the 1860s, the bloody Civil war broke out and Abraham Lincoln, as the president, ratified a law which would eventually free the nations four million slaves. Five years later, the North won the Civil war, the slaves were freed and slavery was abolished. Even though black people were free at last, life would not be easy for them.

Slavery had always had its critics in America, so as the slave trade grew, so did the opposition. The slave labor enabled the colonies to become so profitable, that in 1660 England’s King Charles the second established the royal African company to transport humans from Africa to America. When England finally outlawed its slave trade in 1807, America relied on its own internal slave trade. By 1860, millions of slaves were still moved and sold in the colonies, but no new slaves were imported into the US after 1808. In 1820, the Missouri compromise banned slavery in all new western states, this concluded mostly the southern colonies. The country began to divide around the 18th century over the North and South issue.

When Abraham Lincoln was elected for president in 1860, he convinced many southerners that slavery would never be permitted to expand into new territories acquired by the US. He also declared the emancipation declaration during the war, in 1863. Though Lincoln’s antislavery views were well established, the central Union war aim at first was not to abolish slavery but to preserve the United States as a nation. Eventually, the confederate surrendered in 1865 and the Northside won. The 13th Amendment officially abolished slavery, but freed blacks’ status in the post-war South remained problematic.

Opinions were based on your beliefs and how the world around you evolved. In the North, people were against slavery, but in the South, they thought something else. In the South, people were taught to think that slavery was a natural concept. The defenders of slavery meant that they could not end servitude, considering that slave labor was the foundation of their economy. They also meant that freeing the slaves would lead to anarchy and chaos, and that slavery had existed throughout history and was a common state of mankind. The Northside didn’t rely on slave work as much as the Southside did. The Northside did not like slavery and meant that it was heartless. Other groups (religious groups), thought that it was gruesome and inhuman, while others were busy thinking about their beliefs.

The life of an African-American, after the Civil war, was a world transformed. There were no more of the brutal beatings and the sexual assaults, the selling and forcible relocation of family members, the denial of education, legal marriage, homeownership and so on. Congress enforced laws that promoted civil rights and political rights for African-Americans. The three most important laws the Congress passed was the Amendments. There was the thirteenth amendment which ended slavery, the fourteenth amendment which gave African-Americans the rights of American citizenship, and the fifteenth amendment which gave black men the right to vote. Life after the years of slavery would also prove to be difficult. The South established laws known as the black codes, which meant that they had no right to own land, there were own laws for punishments, they had no rights to carry weapons, no rights to vote and it was illegal not to have work. Most of the African-American, though free, lived in severe poverty.

Slavery began in America when the first slaves were brought to Virginia in 1619. The slaves would aid in the production of crops such as tobacco and cotton. Slavery was of central importance to the South side’s economy. The differences between the South and the North would provoke a big debate, that would tear the nation apart in the gruesome Civil war. Slavery ended after the North won the civil war in 1865 after Abraham Lincoln ratified the thirteenth amendment law. There were many opinions, especially in the South. The southerners meant that slavery had always been around and that it was natural. The Northside meant that it was not right, while other religious groups thought it was horrific. After the Civil war, problems would still appear for the freed slaves. Despite that the beatings, the sexual assaults, and the selling were long gone, life would not be easy for the African-Americans. The South made new laws, known as the black code. It indicated that «negroes» were not allowed to do certain things such as own land, or even carry weapons. Although it was a new law and a new era, it would not change peoples hearts.

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Guest Essay

José Andrés: Let People Eat

By José Andrés

Mr. Andrés is the founder of World Central Kitchen.

In the worst conditions you can imagine — after hurricanes, earthquakes, bombs and gunfire — the best of humanity shows up. Not once or twice but always.

The seven people killed on a World Central Kitchen mission in Gaza on Monday were the best of humanity. They are not faceless or nameless. They are not generic aid workers or collateral damage in war.

Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, John Chapman, Jacob Flickinger, Zomi Frankcom, James Henderson, James Kirby and Damian Sobol risked everything for the most fundamentally human activity: to share our food with others.

These are people I served alongside in Ukraine, Turkey, Morocco, the Bahamas, Indonesia, Mexico, Gaza and Israel. They were far more than heroes.

Their work was based on the simple belief that food is a universal human right. It is not conditional on being good or bad, rich or poor, left or right. We do not ask what religion you belong to. We just ask how many meals you need.

From Day 1, we have fed Israelis as well as Palestinians. Across Israel, we have served more than 1.75 million hot meals. We have fed families displaced by Hezbollah rockets in the north. We have fed grieving families from the south. We delivered meals to the hospitals where hostages were reunited with their families. We have called consistently, repeatedly and passionately for the release of all the hostages.

All the while, we have communicated extensively with Israeli military and civilian officials. At the same time, we have worked closely with community leaders in Gaza, as well as Arab nations in the region. There is no way to bring a ship full of food to Gaza without doing so.

That’s how we served more than 43 million meals in Gaza, preparing hot food in 68 community kitchens where Palestinians are feeding Palestinians.

We know Israelis. Israelis, in their heart of hearts, know that food is not a weapon of war.

Israel is better than the way this war is being waged. It is better than blocking food and medicine to civilians. It is better than killing aid workers who had coordinated their movements with the Israel Defense Forces.

The Israeli government needs to open more land routes for food and medicine today. It needs to stop killing civilians and aid workers today. It needs to start the long journey to peace today.

In the worst conditions, after the worst terrorist attack in its history, it’s time for the best of Israel to show up. You cannot save the hostages by bombing every building in Gaza. You cannot win this war by starving an entire population.

We welcome the government’s promise of an investigation into how and why members of our World Central Kitchen family were killed. That investigation needs to start at the top, not just the bottom.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said of the Israeli killings of our team, “It happens in war.” It was a direct attack on clearly marked vehicles whose movements were known by the Israel Defense Forces.

It was also the direct result of a policy that squeezed humanitarian aid to desperate levels. Our team was en route from a delivery of almost 400 tons of aid by sea — our second shipment, funded by the United Arab Emirates, supported by Cyprus and with clearance from the Israel Defense Forces.

The team members put their lives at risk precisely because this food aid is so rare and desperately needed. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification global initiative, half the population of Gaza — 1.1. million people — faces the imminent risk of famine. The team would not have made the journey if there were enough food, traveling by truck across land, to feed the people of Gaza.

The peoples of the Mediterranean and Middle East, regardless of ethnicity and religion, share a culture that values food as a powerful statement of humanity and hospitality — of our shared hope for a better tomorrow.

There’s a reason, at this special time of year, Christians make Easter eggs, Muslims eat an egg at iftar dinners and an egg sits on the Seder plate. This symbol of life and hope reborn in spring extends across religions and cultures.

I have been a stranger at Seder dinners. I have heard the ancient Passover stories about being a stranger in the land of Egypt, the commandment to remember — with a feast before you — that the children of Israel were once slaves.

It is not a sign of weakness to feed strangers; it is a sign of strength. The people of Israel need to remember, at this darkest hour, what strength truly looks like.

José Andrés is a chef and the founder of World Central Kitchen.

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