Abstract
Slavery is a ubiquitous and almost universal form of labor across the globe from prehistory to the nineteenth century. This chapter surveys legal forms slavery across the globe from prehistory to the great emancipations of the nineteenth century. It notes the ubiquity of the institution since the formation of complex societies, if not before, and suggests that most humans alive today are descended from both slaves and enslavers. Finally, the chapter questions the notion that some forms of slavery are benign.
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Wright, R.E. (2017). A Not So Peculiar Institution. In: The Poverty of Slavery. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48968-1_3
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