Travel Guides Crafted by Experienced Archaeologists & Historians

Slavery & the Enslaved Around the World

Slavery, the act of holding a person or people against their will, forcing them to perform some form of work and controlling their living conditions, predates the written record. Some draw the distinction between more ancient forms of slavery, which have probably existed since at least the rise of agriculture, and race-based slavery, a practice that is thought to have begun in the 14th century reaching immense proportions in the 18th and early 19th century. 

Slavery & Plantations in the USA

The Transatlantic Slave Trade forcibly relocated millions of Africans against their will to the Americas, where they were required to work in plantations, mines and other industries whilst living in inhumane conditions. Enslavement played a significant role in the shaping of the United States. Although the issue of owning Slaves was the root cause of the American Civil War, a century before that, at the time of the American Revolution, slavery was legal in all 13 colonies. There are many plantations and their Slave quarters, as well as other locations where enslaved people worked and lived, open to the public. These sites provide an understanding of the lasting impact of Slavery on American society.