Megan Burke

Pd. 4

Slavery and Human Trafficking Long Essay

The Transatlantic slave trade, beginning in the 1500s and continuing for more than three
centuries, bears a striking similarity to the epidemic of human trafficking in the modern world.
Transatlantic export slavery was a system in which various goods were exchanged for African
slaves, who were then shipped to locations such as Brazil and the Caribbean and were made to
perform forced labor and other tasks. Human trafficking is a system in which people are captured
and often transported for the purpose of exploitation, which can include sexual exploitation like
prostitution, forced labor, servitude, the removal of organs, or combat (McLaughlin). It is
common to note similarities between the systems of Transatlantic slavery and human trafficking,
due to their exploitation of humans and their effects on the lives of those they exploit.
Transatlantic export slavery and modern human trafficking share many motives, and harm the
lives of victims by attempting to destroy their identities and severing their connections to their
families and communities, among many other horrors.
The Transatlantic slave trade and modern human trafficking share the same underlying
motivation of economic gain, but differ in some of their specific exploitative purposes.
Transatlantic slavery was largely a system of forced labor, in which slaves were captured and
purchased for economic gain both for the people trading the slaves and the slave’s eventual
master. Slave traders in Africa often abducted rivals from other tribes and sold them into slavery
for financial gain. Many became extremely successful and wealthy through this, such as
Francisco Felix de Souza, a major slave merchant now known as the “father of Ouidah,” a city in
Benin (Sieff). Those who purchased the slaves also did so for their own financial benefit. The
popularity of slaves for labor increased due to their value over indentured servants. European
laborers began to desert the Caribbean due to high land prices, and Caribbean sugar planters then
switched to slaves, who were “a better investment” (Bulliet et al). It is clear that the main
motivation for slavery was financial, and the same is largely true for human trafficking. The
most common purposes for human trafficking include sexual exploitation and forced labor, both
of which have the potential to highly increase the wealth of the traffickers (“2016 Global Report
on Trafficking in Persons”). However, despite the common overall motivation, the specific
purposes behind the two systems differ slightly. For example, the most common purpose of
slavery was forced labor, and while slaves, especially female, often were victims of sexual
exploitation, it was not one of the main purposes of the slave trade, as it is with human
trafficking.
The impact of slavery and human trafficking on the lives of victims is very similar. Both
slaves and victims of human trafficking were often separated from their families and
communities. During slavery, slaves lost all autonomy over their own person, and could be sold
and transported to anywhere. From the beginning of their enslavement and through their lives in
the Americas, they could be separated from their families. This was often the case for economic
logistical reasons, or as punishment, as “family separation through sale was a constant threat”
(Williams). Human trafficking victims often face similar consequences of their exploitation,
although many times their separation is not physical, but rather a social isolation due to their
condition. With 42% of human trafficking victims being trafficked domestically, victims are
often kept close to home and their families (“Global Report on Trafficking in Persons”).
However, victims of human trafficking are often ostracized from their social circle or face stigma
due to the nature of their exploitation (“Impact”). In addition to this separation, slaves and
victims of human trafficking also experience increased mortality due to their treatment. In the
case of Transatlantic slavery, one-third to fifty percent of the slaves died in transport across the
Atlantic. In addition to this, slaves also had to endure seasoning, a process in which an average
of one-third of the slaves died due to unfamiliar diseases in their new environment (Bulliet et al).
Victims of human trafficking often experience mortality as well, but often there are different
factors that cause it. Many human trafficking victims do die in transit, however, similarly to the
mortality of slaves during transit. Human traffickers often force drug and alcohol addictions on
victims, which can shorten their life, and countless others die from diseases like HIV/AIDS due
to rape. Additionally, many victims choose to die by suicide rather than be trafficked (Shelley).
Overall, there are many similarities between the two systems of Transatlantic slavery and
human trafficking. They share a common motivation of economic gain, and have many
similarities in the horrors they inflict on the lives of victims. Both Transatlantic slavery and
human trafficking occurred in turbulent world times, in which the disparity between the
development of certain countries is dramatic. For example, during slavery, slaves were exploited
for economic benefit in newer or less developed countries, such as countries in South America
and certain countries in West Africa that participated. Similarly, human trafficking victims often
come from developing countries or are trafficked due to conflicts occurring in their home
country, such as civil wars. It is clear that there is a correlation between economic gain for
developing countries and the exploitation of residents of these countries.

Works Cited
“2016 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons.” United Nations Office on Drugs and

Crime.

Bulliet, Richard W., et al. “The Atlantic System and Africa.” The Earth and Its Peoples:

A Global History, Cengage Learning, 2015.

“Impact.” Human Trafficking Search, humantraffickingsearch.org/impact/.

McLaughlin, Liam. “What Is Human Trafficking?” United Nations Office on Drugs and

Crime, www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html.

Shelley, Louise. Human Trafficking: a Global Perspective. Cambridge University Press,

2010.

Sieff, Kevin. “An African Country Reckons with Its History of Selling Slaves.” The

Washington Post, WP Company, 29 Jan. 2018,

www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/an-african-country-reckons-with-its-history-of-

selling-slaves/2018/01/29/5234f5aa-ff9a-11e7-86b9-

8908743c79dd_story.html?utm_term=.ecf88b950bb4.

Williams, Heather Andrea. “How Slavery Affected African American Families.”

National Humanities Center TeacherServe,

nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1609-1865/essays/aafamilies.htm.