The history of slavery is global mainly because it has been going on since ancient times and continues today. We are accustomed to focusing mostly on Atlantic slavery because this history is relatively recent and very memorable. The first reason for the globality of slavery’s history is that it existed as far back as antiquity. For example, in ancient times, the most crucial source of slavery was wars of conquest. In addition, debt slavery existed until a certain time; in Greece and Rome, it was eventually abolished, but it continued to exist in the provinces. In the East, self-sale was popular: when a man found himself in a difficult situation, he was forced first to sell his wife and children and then himself. It was possible to become a slave for some crimes and offenses.
Also, while legal slavery was abolished in most countries at the end of the 19th century, it did not disappear completely. In fact, the scope and forms of modern slavery are frighteningly commonplace, and there are more enslaved people than before, with approximately 40 million. For example, such forms of modern slavery have been identified and described today as labor slavery, debt slavery, contract slavery, physical slavery, military slavery, conscription slavery, religious slavery, and sexual slavery. Thus, the history of slavery is as vast and global as the history of humanity itself.