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Most ancient civilizations, including Greece and Rome, practiced slavery on a large scale.   

Most ancient civilizations, including Greece and Rome, practiced slavery on a large scale.   

Slavery has its roots deep in humanity's pagan past, in humanity's fallen, self-centered nature.  According to the Bible, God created humankind free, giving them the dignity of choice.  Yet slavery is found earlier than the time of Abraham (about 2,000 B.C.)  In the Garden of Eden, according to the Bible, God gave Adam the blessing of work even before the Fall.  That work became harder after our first parents rebelled against their Creator.<ref>The Holy Bible, Genesis 3:17-19</ref></ref> Heathen nations despised manual labor, and consigned it to slaves<ref>Lorella Rouster, The History of Slavery, ECM Publ, 2011, [/ 1</ref>

Slavery has its roots deep in humanity's pagan past, in humanity's fallen, self-centered nature.  According to the Bible, God created humankind free, giving them the dignity of choice.  Yet slavery is found earlier than the time of Abraham (about 2,000 B.C.)  In the Garden of Eden, according to the Bible, God gave Adam the blessing of work even before the Fall.  That work became harder after our first parents rebelled against their Creator.<ref>The Holy Bible, Genesis 3:17-19</ref></ref> Heathen nations despised manual labor, and consigned it to slaves<ref>Lorella Rouster, The History of Slavery, ECM Publ, 2011, 1</ref>

All early civilizations were built on slave labor—Mesopotamia, Babylon, Eqypt, Greece, Rome, and the big civilizations of Central America.<ref>Rouster, p. 2</ref> Milton Meltzer's book, Slavery, A World History, is filled with pictures of ancient carvings, paintings and other artifacts clealy picturing slavery.<ref>Milton Meltzer, Slavery, a World History</ref> Historian Kenneth Scott LaTourette said, "Slavery was a characteristic feature of the social and economic organization of the ancient world."<ref>LaTourette, A History of the Expansion of Christianity, Vol. I, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1939, 1967, p. 26</ref>

All early civilizations were built on slave labor—Mesopotamia, Babylon, Eqypt, Greece, Rome, and the big civilizations of Central America.<ref>Rouster, p. 2</ref> Milton Meltzer's book, Slavery, A World History, is filled with pictures of ancient carvings, paintings and other artifacts cleally picturing slavery.<ref>Milton Meltzer, Slavery, a World History</ref> Historian Kenneth Scott LaTourette said, "Slavery was a characteristic feature of the social and economic organization of the ancient world."<ref>LaTourette, A History of the Expansion of Christianity, Vol. I, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1939, 1967, p. 26</ref>

In [[Egypt]], the Hebrews were slaves for a time.  "All the slaves were considered the property of the gods and the pharaoh."<ref>Meltzer, p. 32</ref> Technically, slaves in Egypt were prisoners of war and foreigners.  However, the peasant class which did all the manual labor were tied to the land belonging to pharaoh and had a standard of living difficult to distinguish from slavery.<ref>Meltzer, p. 30</ref>  

In [[Egypt]], the Hebrews were slaves for a time.  "All the slaves were considered the property of the gods and the pharaoh."<ref>Meltzer, p. 32</ref> Technically, slaves in Egypt were prisoners of war and foreigners.  However, the peasant class which did all the manual labor were tied to the land belonging to pharaoh and had a standard of living difficult to distinguish from slavery.<ref>Meltzer, p. 30</ref>  

Islamic slavery had very high death rates.  It is estimated that 80% died on the long, harsh march through the Sahara.  

Islamic slavery had very high death rates.  It is estimated that 80% died on the long, harsh march through the Sahara.  

Castration of males was a very dominant feature of the Islamic slave trade.  Specific cities in the Sahara were given to this practice as the Islamic caravans passed through.  Such "eunuchs" brought the highest prices, purchased by rich Arab kings and princes as security agents for large harems.  It is estimated that 70 to 90% perished in the ordeal of castration.<ref>http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20120413180645205 University World News, ''Scholars Focus on Arab Trans-Saharan Slave Trade''</ref> Castration centers developed in the Mossi country; Damagaram in Niger; Borno in northeastern Nigeria; Kumasi in Ashantiland now Ghana; Kano, Nigeria (the largest—early British administrators wrote frequently about it); and Baguimi (also spelled Aaghirmi, in Chad Republic & along the Nigerian border—the best known).  Some African kings were already practicing castration of their enemies, but the Islamic slave trade institutionalized it.  This, along with the fact that any children born to slave women were usually killed at birth, is the reason there are few descendants of these slaves and little African diaspora in Arab Islamic lands.<ref>http://forums.eunuch.org/showthread.php?10192-Ottoman-Eunuchs</ref><ref>http://patachu.com/slavery-trans-Saharan-trade/</ref> Some early sources of direct evidence of the Islamic slave trade were al-Yakub, a 9th century Arab writer; Ibn Battuta, a 12th century eyewitness; Mansa Museh, 1324, and Leo Africanus, 1494-1554.

Castration of males was a very dominant feature of the Islamic slave trade.  Specific cities in the Sahara were given to this practice as the Islamic caravans passed through.  Such "eunuchs" brought the highest prices, purchased by rich Arab kings and princes as security agents for large harems.  It is estimated that 70 to 90% perished in the ordeal of castration.<ref>http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20120413180645205 University World News, ''Scholars Focus on Arab Trans-Saharan Slave Trade''</ref> Castration centers developed in the Mossi country; Damagaram in Niger; Borno in northeastern Nigeria; Kumasi in Ashantiland now Ghana; Kano, Nigeria (the largest—early British administrators wrote frequently about it); and Baguimi (also spelled Aaghirmi, in Chad Republic & along the Nigerian border—the best known).  Some African kings were already practicing castration of their enemies, but the Islamic slave trade institutionalized it.  This, along with the fact that any children born to slave women were usually killed at birth, is the reason there are few descendants of these slaves and little African diaspora in Arab Islamic lands.<ref>http://forums.eunuch.org/showthread.php?10192-Ottoman-Eunuchs</ref><ref>http://patachu.com/slavery-trans-Saharan-trade/</ref> Some early sources of direct evidence of the Islamic slave trade were al-Yakub, a 9th-century Arab writer; Ibn Battuta, a 12th-century eyewitness; Mansa Museh, 1324, and Leo Africanus, 1494-1554.

== The Transatlantic Slave Trade ==

== The Transatlantic Slave Trade ==

===Present Day===

===Present Day===

Slavery was also known among [[Arabs]] into the 20th century. As recently as the 1950s, [[Saudi Arabia]] had an estimated 450,000 slaves, 20% of the population.<ref>[http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/slavery.htm Slavery in Islam]</ref><ref>[http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/apr07/page18.html £400 for a Slave]</ref> It is estimated that as many as 200,000 people had been taken into slavery in Sudan during the Second Sudanese Civil War.<ref>[http://www.iabolish.org/slavery_today/in_depth/sudan-genocide.html War and Genocide in Sudan]</ref><ref>[http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/livewire/archived/the_lost_children_of_sudan/ The Lost Children of Sudan]</ref> In [[Mauritania]] it is estimated that up to 600,000 men, women and children, or 20% of the population, are currently enslaved, many of them used as bonded labor.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1458_abolition/page4.shtml The Abolition season on BBC World Service]</ref>  Slavery in Mauritania was finally criminalized in 2007.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6938032.stm Mauritanian MPs pass slavery law]</ref> In [[Niger]], slavery is also a current phenomenon; a Nigerien study has found that more than 800,000 people, or almost 8% of the population, are slaves.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/International/Story?id=813618&page=1 The Shackles of Slavery in Niger]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4250709.stm Born to be a slave in Niger]</ref> The Tuareg-rebels in [[Mali]] have a long tradition of practicing slavery.<ref>http://frontpagemag.com/2013/howard-rotberg/slave-labor-from-auschwitz-to-mali/</ref> [[Daesh]], who follow the teaching of Mohammed, restablished slavery; the women are sex slaves, while the men are used to work. Until 2015, they had captured and enslaved about 7,000 young women and children.<ref>http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/629563/Daesh-kidnaps-women-children-sell-sex-slaves-social-media</ref>

Slavery was also known among [[Arabs]] into the 20th century. As recently as the 1950s, [[Saudi Arabia]] had an estimated 450,000 slaves, 20% of the population.<ref>[http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/slavery.htm Slavery in Islam]</ref><ref>[http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/apr07/page18.html £400 for a Slave]</ref> It is estimated that as many as 200,000 people had been taken into slavery in Sudan during the Second Sudanese Civil War.<ref>[http://www.iabolish.org/slavery_today/in_depth/sudan-genocide.html War and Genocide in Sudan]</ref><ref>[http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/livewire/archived/the_lost_children_of_sudan/ The Lost Children of Sudan]</ref> In [[Mauritania]] it is estimated that up to 600,000 men, women and children, or 20% of the population, are currently enslaved, many of them used as bonded labor.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1458_abolition/page4.shtml The Abolition season on BBC World Service]</ref>  Slavery in Mauritania was finally criminalized in 2007.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6938032.stm Mauritanian MPs pass slavery law]</ref> In [[Niger]], slavery is also a current phenomenon; a Nigerien study has found that more than 800,000 people, or almost 8% of the population, are slaves.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/International/Story?id=813618&page=1 The Shackles of Slavery in Niger]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4250709.stm Born to be a slave in Niger]</ref> The Tuareg-rebels in [[Mali]] have a long tradition of practicing slavery.<ref>http://frontpagemag.com/2013/howard-rotberg/slave-labor-from-auschwitz-to-mali/</ref> [[Daesh]], who follow the teaching of Mohammed, reestablished slavery; the women are sex slaves, while the men are used to work. Until 2015, they had captured and enslaved about 7,000 young women and children.<ref>http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/629563/Daesh-kidnaps-women-children-sell-sex-slaves-social-media</ref>

Also, the term "slavery" is often used metaphorically for sex workers who are controlled by pimps.

Also, the term "slavery" is often used metaphorically for sex workers who are controlled by pimps.

* Fogel, Robert. ''Without Consent or Contract: The Rise and Fall of American Slavery'' (1989) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/without-consent-or-contract-the-rise-and-fall-of-american-slavery-by-robert-william-fogel.jsp online edition]

* Fogel, Robert. ''Without Consent or Contract: The Rise and Fall of American Slavery'' (1989) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/without-consent-or-contract-the-rise-and-fall-of-american-slavery-by-robert-william-fogel.jsp online edition]

* Genovese, Eugene. ''Roll Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made'' (1974), the most important book, written as Genovese was moving from Marxism to conservatism

* Genovese, Eugene. ''Roll Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made'' (1974), the most important book, written as Genovese was moving from Marxism to conservatism

* Miller, Randall M., and John David Smith, eds. ''Dictionary of Afro-American Slavery'' (1988), exellent reference  

* Miller, Randall M., and John David Smith, eds. ''Dictionary of Afro-American Slavery'' (1988), excellent reference  

* Phillips, Ulrich B. ''American Negro Slavery: A Survey of the Supply, Employment and Control of Negro Labor as Determined by the Plantation Regime'' (1918), the  best older history; leftists complain it does not share their biases.  [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11490 free edition online]

* Phillips, Ulrich B. ''American Negro Slavery: A Survey of the Supply, Employment and Control of Negro Labor as Determined by the Plantation Regime'' (1918), the  best older history; leftists complain it does not share their biases.  [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11490 free edition online]