Redrawing slavery: debt, law, and the market in the process of enslavement

Project Description

The rising profile of modern slavery has added to the long-standing debate about the nature and definition of enslavement. This project redraws our current understanding of slavery by suggesting that enslavement as it was codified historically in law was designed to provide protection for individuals by communities and states against illegal forms of subjugation. However, as the legitimacy of enslavement was based upon concepts of indebtedness, any change that affected those concepts also affected attitudes towards legal forms of enslavement. In addition, those interested in profiting from the sale of individuals on the market bypassed state protections for personal gain.