Introduction+s

Abolition of Slavery
Slavery had been a long tradition that dated back to ancient Greece. In the Roman empire the advances of Christianity did make conditions for slaves a little more bearable, and under Islamic law there were strict rules on how slaves should be treated. In England slavery took the form of serfdom. To all intents and purposes serfs could be considered as slaves, as they had no real alternatives and were bound to their lord and master. The movement against slavery really started when the nature of the slave trade was understood by the public. Many people such as Adam Smith, Dr Johnson, Pope, Savage and Cowper all came out publicly against slavery. England was not the first European power to ban slavery; that honour goes to Denmark which banned slavery in Danish territories on May 16th 1792. The first people who united practical action against slavery were the Quakers who declared it "not commendable or allowed" in 1727. The reformist movements were predominant in the movement, and it was through their actions that the issue was drawn to public awareness. The Protestant reform movements were often critical of the establishment and were often regarded with suspicion by those who held traditional power, especially as the Industrial Revolution was creating a new class of rich, many of whom were Protestant, and wanted some of the power held by the old establishment. In 1772, it was decided by the whole bench, that as soon as a slave set foot on the soil of the British Isles, he became free. As a result of this and numerous petitions presented to Parliament, a committee of the Privy Council was appointed by the Crown to look into the slave trade issue in 1788. This led to a motion to ban the importation of slaves into the West Indies. This motion was lost. The West Indies represented quick wealth to many people in positions of power, and slaves were a cheap way of getting the wealth. Eventually by 1823 an anti-slavery society was established, with Wilberforce and Buxton the principal members. After much pressure in 1833 a system of apprenticeship and compensation for owners was passed by parliament. Slaves were to become apprentices for a transitional period of seven years and were bound to work for their masters for three-quarters of the day. By 1838, two years early, slaves were granted their freedom in all territories controlled by Britain. For more details visit UK Anti Slavery Society This was one step towards the freedom of slaves.  The United States fought a civil war with slavery as one of the issues. The formal idea of slavery was becoming unpopular. Other disguised forms of slavery were often employed. The "blackbirding " of Pacific Island peoples to work as indentured labour in the Australian sugar cane fields and the indenturing of Indian people to work the cane fields of the West Indies and Fiji, are two examples. A slavery convention, formed by the League of Nations in 1926, defined slavery as "the status or the condition of a person over whom any or all the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised". This convention is still in force as the United Nations assumed the powers and functions of the League of Nations in 1945. Many UN organisations like UNESCO and the International Labour Organisation ( ILO) continue to monitor slavery issues. The use of child labour in Pakistan is a modern example of a disguised form of slavery. A 13-year-old Pakistani activist who campaigned against conditions for child labour was killed. Even so the Australian Federal Government did not support the motions at the ILO conference in Seoul (Korea) to link child welfare to trade issues. Follow the link for more details on the ILO's campaign against child labour However in some places it is still common for people to pledge their services as security for a debt. This leads to debt bondage, where a person is to all intents and purposes enslaved for life. With advances in medicine there has also been another alarming trend, the trade in body organs. This is not just a problem in places like India; complaints have been made in the technologically advanced country of Japan. People are being pressured to sell a kidney to clear a debt. In Australia such actions would be illegal. Trade in human body tissue is illegal: you can donate a kidney but you cannot sell it