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Slavery Ancient and Modern

Ancient civilisations like Rome, major European countries and America have all been involved in the slave trade. Explore related resources on slavery today, New Zealand legislation against slavery and the historic freedom of slaves. SCIS no. 1846899

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Medallion

A medallion showing a slave in chains.

Slave collar

An image of a slave collar.

Slavery at sea

An investigation has found slave labour on fishing boats in the Pacific. Some of that fish makes it onto NZ shelves.

When marriage is slavery

When marriage is slavery

A new law seeks to make the forced marriage of minors more difficult.

Fishing 'slavery' bill

Fishing 'slavery' bill

Fishing 'slavery' bill passes final hurdle.

A 1909 newspaper article about 'modern' slavery.

Research Papers

Forced into slavery

Working conditions for migrant crew on foreign chartered vessels fishing in New Zealand's waters are nothing short of slavery

Slavery in the Philippines

1913 newspaper article about children captured and sold as slaves.

Barack Obama

Cartoon related to slavery in America.

Ironman champion competes to end child slavery

Ironman champion competes to end child slavery

Kiwi triathlete Cameron Brown is on a race to save women and children from slavery.

Slavery in the UK

A claim that there is slavery in 'every large town and city' in the UK.

Modern-day slavery' in NZ

Modern-day slavery' in NZ

A report on modern-day slavery in NZ.

Nearly 60 percent of countries have been listed in a new global index as being at high risk of using slave labour in their supply chains.

Garment factory owner in American Samoa found guilty in "modern slavery" case

The owner of a garment factory in American Samoa is facing a lengthy jail term after being found guilty of what has been described as modern day slavery. Kill Soo...

US university helps slave descendants

A top US university will give extra support in its admissions process to descendants of slaves sold by the university in the 19th Century.

Women who escaped ISIS wins freedom prize

Two Yazidi women who escaped sexual enslavement by so-called Islamic State in Iraq have won Europe's top human rights award, the Sakharov prize.

African refugees 'sold in slave markets'

Africans trying to reach Europe are being sold by their captors in 'slave' markets in Libya, an international migration agency says.

A Slave

A portrait of a slave.

Slaves Preparing Food

Slaves Preparing Food

lithograph 369 x 550 x 17 mm - Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, The Ilene and Laurence Dakin Bequest, purchased 1998

Androcles and the Lion

Androcles and the Lion

oil on canvas 1320 x 1100 mm - 19 BR 08.9 (l.l.) (BR in monogram)(verso) Androcles and the lion. Briton Riviere RA 82 Finchley Road, London, N.WPresented by the Artist, per Prof F. Clowes, 19/7/15 ...

The big chill and the big drill

What was the weather like in Antarctica and what kinds of animals lived there?

Slavery in America

A gallery of photographs related to slavery in America.

Forced labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking

Data relating to forced labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking.

Slavery in colonial times

As in many other cultures, slavery was an element of Māori society.

Anti-slavery International

Provides information about modern slavery around the world. Includes fact sheets, posters, and lesson plans.

Slavery resource guide

Contains a variety of material related to slavery including photographs, documents, and sound recordings.

BBC news website featuring articles about slavery victims throughout the world.

Modern-day slavery for clothing in the Western World

Looks at the clothing industry with particular reference to Bangladeshi sweatshops.

Slavery in Ancient Greece

10 facts about slavery In Ancient Greece.

Colonisation's effect on ending Māori slavery overstated, says author.

An article explaining the different forms of slavery.

USI (Understanding slavery initiative)

A UK website supporting the teaching and learning of transatlantic histories and legacies of slavery.

A gallery of images related to slavery.

New Zealand 'slavery' legislation

1961 crimes act of New Zealand detailing the laws against slave-dealing.

The history of the transatlantic slave trade

Provides information about slavery and the slave trade.

The abolition project

Looks at the transatlantic slave trade and the abolitionists who fought against it.

Stop the traffic

Provides information about anti-trafficking events throughout the world.

Slave ships and the middle passage

Slave ships transported Africans from Africa to the Americas between 1500 and 1866.

Slavery by another name

Documentary about slavery in America.

When 13-year-old Liam's brother is captured by pirates, Liam is desperate to get him back.

Video about taking a stand against slavery.

Campaign for abolition

Explore a range of primary sources from the Abolition campaign.

The Global Slavery Index

Provides a map showing the prevalence of and response to modern slavery.

Free the slaves

One of the world’s largest video libraries on modern slavery.

Slavery in America

Slavery in America began when the first African slaves were brought to Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619.

A history of slavery in the USA

A timeline showing the history of slavery in the United States.

The war against slavery from America's colonial days until the abolition of slavery in the 1860s.

A gallery of images related to slavery.

Obama on modern slavery.

President Obama's speech condemned human trafficking as modern slavery.

A runaway slave makes a daring escape to freedom.

Photographer Lisa Kristine documents the harsh realities of modern-day slavery.

10 countries most afflicted by modern slavery

The 10 top countries where people are victims of human trafficking and slavery.

Curzon is separated from his friend Isabel after their daring escape from slavery.

Slavery was an ever-present feature of the Roman world.

Blackbirding: Australia's history of luring, tricking and kidnapping Pacific Islanders.

New Zealand and the slave trade

New Zealand's shameful role in the Pacific Islands slave trade.

Rome

Slaves were common in the ancient civilizations of Rome, Egypt, and Greece. In Rome, roughly one-third of the population were slaves. Some slaves had to carry out dangerous physical work, such as t...

Amnesty International

Amnesty International

This cartoon refers to the 2013 Annual Report of Amnesty International in New Zealand that revealed that there were up to 270,000 children living in poverty in New Zealand. Amnesty International is...

Abolition of slavery

Abolition of slavery

According to this newspaper article, the legal status of slavery was abolished in the Zanzibar Protectorate in April 1897. By 1900, the slave trade no longer officially existed. However, it continu...

Child slavery

This newspaper article from 1914 talks about children as young as 3 years old working in factories. Although this newspaper article is over 100 years old, child slavery still takes place today. Cur...

Sailing ship

The practice of ‘blackbirding’ largely took place in the 1860s and 1870s. It involved recruiting or kidnapping Pacific Island people, often through trickery and force. They were taken on sailing sh...

Slavery

A slave is a person who is owned by others and forced to work hard for little or no money. Slavery has taken place throughout history with the ancient Romans, Greeks, Aztecs and Incas all having sl...