Studies the institution of slavery from the perspective of an historical process.
This paper explores the history of slavery in all parts of the world and explains how a growing demand for labor, economic debt, and cultural factors all contributed to the institution of slavery. The paper points out that slavery was a part of European, African, and North and South American history.
“Slavery was not a revolutionary idea; it can be traced back to the most ancient of civilizations. What makes the transatlantic slave trade stand out, in the development of Spanish America and plantation complex? For one, the Atlantic slave trade has been the largest forced migration in history, and provides a framework for understanding the modern Atlantic world, comprising four continents: Africa, Europe, and North and South America. Hundreds of comparative studies have demonstrated the seemingly pervasiveness of what was once thought to be isolated to the Old South, but few have concentrated on slavery as a historical process.”