An examination of the history of the act of slavery through the ages – ancient times, Middle Ages and the modern world.
This paper discusses the history of slavery – examining it roots and how it developed over the years. In shows how slaves are as old as civilization itself, listing several ancient cultures which used slaves. It shows how the experience of slavery differed for men, woman and children and examines the various ways in which slaves were obtained – through debt, war, pacts and heritage. It compares the experiences of slaves in the ancient world to that of the Middle Ages and finally looks at the more recent issue of slavery in the United States. The paper concludes with the phenomenon of the emancipation of slaves in America.
“Slavery might be defined as the now unlawful ownership of one person by another, with the purpose so that the owner can exploit the labor of the person he owns for his own gain or enjoyment. When we think of slavery we usually think of the period in United States history where slave owning was condoned as a necessary evil by many, or of isolated reports in the current news of private slave ownership. The truth is that the practice of one human being enslaving another is as old as civilization itself.”