Slavery Essay: Slavery, also known as enslavement, is the condition of being a slave. It is a practice where a group of people or a community of people are oppressed and are made to work as labourers without any remuneration. A slave is more of a movable property than a labourer. He doesn’t have the liberty to quit the service and is legally rendered as personal property.
In history, slavery has been an integral part of human civilisation. Slaves were exploited and oppressed by suing physical violence as the external force. The condition of being an unfree labourer or a labourer without remuneration is called de facto slavery. Slavery has been outlawed and is now illegal in the present society.
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Long and Short Essays on Slavery for Students and Kids in English
We are providing students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic of Slavery.
Long Essay on Slavery 500 Words in English
Long Essay on Slavery is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.
Slavery is a condition of being a slave. It is also known as enslavement. It is a historic practice were people one group of people is oppressed and exploited as forced labourers by another group of people. Slaves are not considered as workers but as personal property with no liberty and rights to be exercised.
The word “slave” is derived from the ethnic word “slav.” It has derived in the English terminology from the old French word, “sclave” and Latin word “sclavus.” Historians often find the use of the word “slave” and instead refer to the use of “unfree labourers” or “enslaved person.”
Some terminologies:
- Bonded Labourers: This is a form of slavery where a person agrees to provide service to repay a certain debt or loan taken from a person. This is a form of unfree labour which can be passed through generations till the debt is paid. Debt bondage is most prevalent in South Asia.
- Chattel slavery: This is a form of slavery where the slaves are not even considered to be humans but as the personal movable property of the slavers. The slaves, therefore, gave birth to children who were enslaved right from the beginning of their lives. The slavers also had the authority to sell and buy slaves at their will.
- Forced labourer- Forced labourer, is a form of slavery where the enslaved people are forced to act as labourers under the threat of violence and other abuse. This term has a wide range of approach since, not only enslaved people but other forms of unfree labourers such as serfdom or penal labour also fall under this.
History of Slavery:
The first forms of slavery were practised with the prisoners of war. It was called “just title servitude.”
Slavery has existed in many civilisations and cultures throughout the centuries. Slavery wasn’t a practice in the early hunter-gatherer cultures, but it started to become widespread after the invention of agriculture in the Neolithic Age. The Bible also mentions slavery as an institution.
Slavery in different parts of the world:
- Africa- Slavery existed in Pharaonic Egypt. However, Egyptian terminology is very vague when it comes to slavery. There were three types of slavery in Egypt, bonded labour, chattel slavery and forced labour.
- Asia- In Asia, slavery was prevalent since the Shang Dynasty.
- Europe- Mycenaean Green had evidence of slavery. Greek Athens also had the largest number of working slave population. In Rome, slavery was a very vital pillar of the economy.
- Africa- External and internal slave trade was highly widespread in Africa. In between 1300 to 1900, more than one-third of the Senegambia population was enslaved. The Arab slave trade across the Indian ocean was one of the most notable slave trades in the world.
- America- Slavery in America is a significant historical issue as several crises like the American Civil war are associated with it. Slaves in America were mostly of African origin who were traded and sold by the traders.
After the Civil Rights movement in America and other human rights movement throughout the world, slavery as a practice has been deemed illegal as it is a threat to liberty and freedom.
Short Essay on Slavery 150 Words in English
Short Essay on Slavery is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Slavery is the practice of being a slave. It is also known as enslavement. Slavery comes from the ethic word “slav.” It came to be used in the English language through the Old French word “sclave” or the Latin word, “sclavus.”
Historians believe that slavery originated since the beginning of agriculture in ancient societies. There are different forms of slavery:
- Bonded labour: Bonded labourers work to repay a certain debt to a person, and this debt has to be repaid for generations. They have no rights of their own.
- Chattel slavery: Chattel slavery is the form where slaves are considered to be practically personal property. The children of slaves are also born to be slaves.
- Forced Labour: It also includes other forms such as serfdom and penal labour. Here slaves are forced to work under threat of violence.
Slavery has been rampant throughout the world, especially in Africa and America. Ancient Greece and Rome also show evidence of slavery. However, slavery as a practice has been outlawed for it is a strict violation of human rights.
10 Lines on Slavery in English
- Athens of Greece had a huge number of slaves.
- Films have been a notable representation of slavery.
- Notable films are “The birth of a nation” and “Spartacus.”
- Earliest forms of slavery include slavery of the prisoners of war.
- The oldest international human rights organisation, Anti-slavery International, was formed in 1839.
- Anti-Slavery International formed by Joseph Sturge.
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights has declared slavery as a banned practice.
- Slavery was widespread in India by 6th century BC.
- The large-scale slave trade also started in Japan by the Portuguese.
- Even though slavery has been outlawed, the number of slaves today is estimated between 12 million to 29 million.
FAQ’s on Slavery Essay
Question 1.
When did American Civil War take place?
Answer:
It started on 12th April 1861.
Question 2.
Who first abolished slavery?
Answer:
Britain first abolished slavery in 1833.
Question 3.
Which was the world’s oldest human rights organisation?
Answer:
World’s oldest human rights organisation was Anti-Slavery International.
Question 4.
Where was Anti-slavery international formed?
Answer:
It was formed in Britain.