Slavery

Quick Facts: Who was Slavery?

Subject:

Slavery

Known for:

The ownership of a person as property, primarily for labor, across human history.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regard to their labour. It is an economic phenomenon and its history resides in economic history. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage.

Career & Major Achievements

Enslavement is the placement of a person into slavery, and the person is called a slave or an enslaved person. Many historical cases of enslavement occurred as a result of breaking the law, becoming indebted, suffering a military defeat, or exploitation for cheaper labor; other forms of slavery were instituted along demographic lines such as race or sex. Slaves would be kept in bondage for life, or for a fixed period of time after which they would be granted freedom.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Although slavery is usually involuntary and involves coercion, there are also cases where people voluntarily enter into slavery to pay a debt or earn money due to poverty. In the course of human history, slavery was a common feature of civilization, and existed in most societies throughout history, but it is now outlawed in every country in the world except as a punishment for a crime.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Slavery

True or False: “The primary economic function of slavery was always the direct accumulation of wealth through the sale of goods, rather than the forced labor itself.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While the sale of goods was a major component, the core economic value derived from slavery was the compulsory, unpaid labor provided by the enslaved person, which was the direct source of wealth for the owners.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Slavery in Africa — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A complex, multi-period history of servitude across African societies.
• Slavery in the colonial United States — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The development of chattel slavery in British America, evolving from indentured servitude.
• Slavery in the United States — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The brutal, foundational institution of chattel slavery in the US from 1776 to 1865.
• Slavic migrations to the Balkans — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Mass migrations of Slavs into Southeast Europe during the Early Middle Ages.
• Slavic revolt of 983 — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A major 10th-century uprising by Polabian Slavs against Ottonian rule and Christianization.
• Slavoj Žižek — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Slovenian philosopher known for blending Hegelianism, Lacan, and Marxism.

Frequently Asked Questions about Slavery