What is the Meaning of Slavery | Definition and What is Slavery
Slavery is the status of the slave (any person who is under the domination of another and which, therefore, lack of freedom). The concept allows to refer to a legal institution which defines the personal situation of the slaves.
Historians say that slavery has emerged with the use of the labour of these captives after a war. Formerly, these people were killed at gunshot but, subsequently, people preferred to use them as slaves to obtain an economic benefit or service.
Slavery was accepted and defended in antiquity. Indeed, philosophers such as Aristotle saw it as a natural situation. During the European conquest of the Americas, slavery has reached its peak and was essential to the success of the company.
The Europeans needed cheap labor to achieve their expansion plans, reason why they decided to enslave the native indigenous peoples of America to bring slaves from Africa. Therefore, started the slave trade, where blacks were bought and sold on the market as if they were objects.
Over time, a strong movement anti-slavery has appeared in the 18th century. Abolitionists were based on the ideas of the Enlightenment, arguing that all men should have the same rights. There were also economic reasons which contributed to abolish slavery: the industrial revolution based on paid work and not slavery.
Today, slavery is prohibited in most countries even if there is still labour regimes which resemble past in the 18th century.