History glossary
Slavery
a system in which people are treated as property and forced to work without freedom.
- Category
- Labor system
What it means
Slavery has existed in many societies, but Atlantic slavery forcibly transported millions of Africans to the Americas and made racialized slave labor central to plantation economies. Its abolition and legacies shaped modern politics, race, law, and memory.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Roman Empire
From Augustus to the fall of the Western Empire, Rome built a vast imperial system whose law, cities, armies and ideas shaped the ancient and medieval worlds.
The Roman Republic
From the expulsion of Rome’s kings to the rise of Augustus, the Roman Republic built a powerful mixed constitution, expanded across the Mediterranean, and ultimately collapsed into civil war and one-man rule.
The Age of Exploration
An era of exploration and empire linking continents through trade, conquest, and cultural exchange.
The American Revolution and Early Republic
From colonial tensions to independence, this traces the birth and early struggles of the United States of America.
The Aztec Empire
From migrants to empire, the Aztecs built a powerful civilisation before collapsing after Spanish conquest.
The Celtic World Before Rome
Celtic tribes spanned Europe, shaping culture, conflict, and a lasting legacy.
Kievan Rus
The founding of the Rus’ state in the north.
The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution began in Britain and spread globally, transforming economies, societies and everyday life through machines, factories and new energy sources.
