Slavery

Definition

Slavery refers to a system in which individuals are owned as property by others who have complete control over them. Enslaved people are forced to work without pay and do not have the same rights or freedoms as free individuals.

Analogy

Imagine being trapped in a never-ending game of Monopoly where someone else controls all your moves and decisions. Slavery is like that, where individuals are treated as property and have no control over their own lives.

Related terms

Underground Railroad: A network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans to escape to free states or Canada.

Fugitive Slave Act (1850): A law that required escaped slaves to be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state.

Frederick Douglass: An influential abolitionist and former enslaved person who became a prominent speaker, writer, and advocate for the abolition of slavery.