Intro: Slavery, slave ownership as a practice or institution. The condition of being a slave, servitude, servitude. Slave, a human being who belongs to the property of another and who is absolutely subject to the will of another: a servant deprived of all personal freedom and rights. Hard to believe, but one of the most horrific events in world history was the slave trade. It was a time when people were sold like a commodity, when human beings were treated as if they were not human. Beaten, taken on a boat to an unknown land, drowned because of rations and space, inhumane........ yes, unrealistic........ no. What was it? The capture and forced labor of Africans by Europeans began in the early 16th century. Africans were gathered together by other Africans as objects of exchange with Europeans. Eventually, slave ships became a regular sight in what became known as the “Middle Passage.” These ships ensured a constant flow of African slaves to Brazil and the Caribbean islands, where the human cargo was auctioned and transported to Europe or the New World. Most ships were not cleaned. The “cargo” was not fed or cleaned properly. Many captives died due to the inhumane conditions of these journeys. Who was in control? England gained control of the slave trade through the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 and managed the shipping of slaves to the Spanish colonies. As the colonies gained independence from Spain, they outlawed slavery, and slaves were soon in high demand in North America, especially on plantations. Few are lucky enough to be servants; the most menial work done in the fields. How did it end? As early as the mid-1500s, Jean Bodin, a French political philosopher, condemned the institution of slavery as immoral and unnatural..