Slavery is based on the exploitation of captive labor.
Slavery is the state of a slave (the person who is under the dominion of another subject and who, therefore, lacks freedom ). The concept allows us to refer to a legal institution that defines the personal situation of slaves.
The etymological origin of the term that concerns us now is found in Slavic. And it emanates from the Slavic word, to which is added the suffix -tud , which can be translated as "quality" .
Rise of slavery
Historians affirm that slavery arose with the use of the labor of those captives after a war . In more remote times, these people were shot, although later it was preferred to use them as slaves to obtain an economic benefit or a service.
Slavery was accepted and defended in ancient times. In fact, philosophers like Aristotle considered it to be something natural. During the European conquest of the Americas , slavery reached its peak and was vital to the company 's success.
The Europeans needed cheap labor to carry out their expansion plans. That's why they enslaved the native aboriginal people of America and brought slaves from Africa . This is how the slave trade emerged, where black people were bought and sold in markets as if they were objects.
Slavery was formally abolished in most countries.
abolitionism
Over time, a strong anti-slavery movement developed that emerged in the 18th century . Abolitionists drew on the ideas of the Enlightenment and asserted that all men should have equal rights. There was also an economic reason that helped to abolish slavery: the Industrial Revolution , which was based on paid work and not slavery.
Historically important is the one known as the Civil War that took place in the United States between 1861 and 1865 . The North and South of the country faced each other in this contest in which the first mentioned area advocated an abolitionist policy , while the second defended slavery staunchly, since it sustained its economy, which was basically agriculture.
Fortunately, the North won and that allowed slavery to be abolished in the nation, which was the action that allowed the foundations to be laid for what would become the civil rights movement of the citizens of the United States .
Today, slavery is formally prohibited in most countries, although regimes of labor exploitation that resemble practices prior to the 18th century still persist.
Slavery in cinema
Cinema has often been inspired by slavery. A good example of this would be the film "12 Years a Slave" , which won three Oscars in 2014 : Best Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.
Steve McQueen is the director of this feature film that is inspired by the life of a flesh and blood character: Solomon Northup, an African American who was born free but was kidnapped in 1841 . Thus, he was sold as a slave to work on cotton plantations in the Louisiana area. A situation that he suffered for a total of twelve years.