Legal Definitions - slavery

Slavery is when one person is forced to work for another person without pay and without the ability to leave. The person who is enslaved is treated like property and has no rights. Slavery has existed throughout history and was often used as a way to gain wealth and power. In the United States, slavery was based on race, and people were born into slavery and could not escape it. Slavery was abolished in the United States after the Civil War, but it still exists in some parts of the world today.

• In the United States, African Americans were enslaved and forced to work on plantations without pay.
• In some countries, children are forced to work in factories or mines without pay and without the ability to leave.
• In some parts of the world, people are forced into prostitution and are not allowed to leave.

These examples illustrate the definition of slavery because in each case, one person is being forced to work for another person without pay and without the ability to leave. The person who is enslaved is treated like property and has no rights.