Brianna Fort

Period 4
Transatlantic Slavery and Modern Human Trafficking
Throughout history, humans have taken advantage of other humans for their own
economic and social gains. One of the most prevalent and long-lived forms of this flawed aspect
of human nature was the transatlantic slavery system that started in 1450, and did not officially
end until 1900. More than 500 years after the first form of slavery was introduced, humans
continue to take advantage of other humans through modern day human trafficking. Human
trafficking is strikingly similar to the system of transatlantic slavery in terms of the inhumane
working conditions and motives for slavery, but in other ways has evolved due to modern
technology and demands.
Victims of slavery, both old and new, are robbed of the basic human rights they deserve.
They face inhumane working conditions including long hours, little food, separation from family,
and abusive situations. Slaves worked from sunrise to sundown and would only take short breaks
for food, often working 18 hours or more when the sugarcane was being harvested. Bonded
laborers in todays society suffer as well, with long working hours under harsh and demanding
conditions. In Kuwait, some migrants are forced into labor where they dont get paid wages,
work numerous hours with limited rest, deprivation of food, threats, physical and sexual abuse,
and cannot leave the workplace. The reason that both slaves and victims of human trafficking
face such long working hours is because employers do not think of their laborers as humans that
require needs, but as vehicles that they can use to gain inexpensive labor and money.
Both slaves and victims of human trafficking are transported to other parts of the world
where there is a demand for labor. The slaves in the transatlantic slavery system were transported
to the West Indies due to the increase in demand for sugarcane leading to an increase in demand

for cheap labor to harvest the crops. Victims of human trafficking are taken from their homes to
other regions or countries where theres a demand for a service or product, frequently it is cheap
labor or sex. Once transported, these people are trapped in a situation with little hopes of
escaping. Slaves were stuck working on the plantations and feared the force their owners could
use on them if they tried to escape, such as flogging, containment in iron shackles, or mutilation.
Employers of modern day slaves create a similar situation of despair by taking away identity and
travel papers, which gives the employers control of movement of their workers and prevents
them from leaving as these people have little leverage or resources to ensure any form of safety.
Finally, the motives for enslaving people are the same. Slaves benefit the economy and the
employers receive personal gains as well. In the system of transatlantic slavery the free labor
from slaves produced the main cash crops, sugarcane and tobacco, for France, Spain, and
England and slave owners were able to receive more money because their slaves produced more
crops. Forced laborers of today face lower wages and unregulated safety conditions so that the
employers can lower the prices of their goods in order to compete with other businesses in the
economy. According to the International Labor Organization, forced labor in the private
economy reaps some $150 billion in illicit dollars each year. The transatlantic slave system and
human trafficking contain similar working conditions, situations, and motives.
Although there are many conditions and circumstances that make slavery and human
trafficking extremely similar, there are also differences that have occurred due to the change in
society and technology. One main difference is how the victims arrived in their situation. In the
transatlantic slave system prisoners of war were taken involuntarily from their homes and sold by
African merchants to Europeans. However, modern day slaves usually pursue a job voluntarily
under false pretenses and end up in servitude. During the recruitment process, the

misrepresentation of contract terms, the imposition of recruitment fees, the confiscation of

identity documents, or a combination of these leads to migrants taking on jobs that trap them in
slavery. The causes for the system of transatlantic slavery and modern human trafficking are also
different. Slavery was caused by the need for cheap labor to produce crops, whereas modern
human trafficking is caused by human traffickers taking advantage of individuals that are
desperate for work because they are fleeing poverty and unemployment, criminal violence,
armed conflict, or natural disasters. The primary targets for slavery is another difference that has
taken place. In the system of transatlantic slavery younger males were specifically targeted, but
modern human trafficking specifically targets females. The reason younger males were
specifically targeted in the system of transatlantic slavery was because they were more
productive in the fields than females. The reason females are targeted in modern human
trafficking is because there is a high demand for females for commercial sex acts.
As society has progressed there have been many changes in society and technology. But
the one thing that remains the same is the exploitation of people. History hasnt changed and we
havent learned from our mistakes. People are still being forced into bondage for the benefit of
other people to produce goods and services without payment. There is little difference between
the system of transatlantic slavery and modern human trafficking.