Glossary · Term
Slavery
Slavery is the condition in which people are treated as property and forced to work. It existed in almost every ancient and pre-modern society, from Mesopotamia and Rome to the Islamic world and Africa. The Atlantic slave trade made it central to the Portuguese, Spanish, British, French and Brazilian empires, while it also shaped the Sokoto Caliphate, the Kongo Empire and the Oyo Empire.
Mentioned in 42 profiles
Abbasid CaliphateSocioeconomyBabylonian EmpireGovernanceBrazilian EmpireSocioeconomy, Governance, Impact, DeclineBritish EmpireFoundation, ImpactDarfur SultanateSocioeconomyEthiopian EmpireSocioeconomy, GovernanceFrench EmpireSocioeconomyGaramantian EmpireSocioeconomy, ImpactJolof EmpireSocioeconomy, MilitaryKaabu EmpireSocioeconomy, Military, ImpactKanem-Bornu EmpireSocioeconomyKongo EmpireSocioeconomy, ImpactMajapahit EmpireSocioeconomyNeo-Sumerian EmpireSocioeconomyOyo EmpireSocioeconomyPortuguese EmpireSocioeconomy, Governance, DeclinePunic EmpireSocioeconomy, Impact, DeclineRoman EmpireSocioeconomyRozvi EmpireDeclineSokoto CaliphateSocioeconomy, DeclineWadai EmpireSocioeconomySurinameSocioeconomy, Impact, Decline, SummaryUnited StatesGovernance, Impact, Decline, SummaryRepublic of Haiti (1806-1849)Military, Impact, SummaryRepublic of PeruSocioeconomy, SummaryFederal Republic of Central AmericaFoundation, SummaryVenezuelaFoundation, Governance, SummaryRepublic of NicaraguaMilitaryChiosImpact, SummaryCeltiberiansDeclineBoeotian LeagueDeclineUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandImpactSulu SultanateImpactKingdom of NepalSocioeconomyRattanakosin KingdomSocioeconomy, SummaryMerina KingdomSocioeconomyCape ColonySocioeconomy, Impact, SummaryLiberiaGovernanceSultanate of ZanzibarImpactCongo Free StateFoundationChristianityCommunity, LegacyYoruba religionSpread
Mentioned in 63 state histories
See also
Cite this entry
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Slavery. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/slavery
- MLA
- “Slavery.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/slavery. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Slavery.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/slavery.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Slavery’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/slavery (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻