5. Describe slavery in the United States.

5. Describe slavery in the United States.

Slavery in the United States was a system in which African Americans were legally treated as property and forced to work without pay, mainly on plantations in the southern states.

5. Describe slavery in the United States.

It developed during the colonial period and became deeply rooted in the American economy, particularly in agriculture, especially cotton and tobacco production.

5. Describe slavery in the United States.

Enslaved people were deprived of basic human rights and subjected to physical violence, family separation, and harsh living conditions.

5. Describe slavery in the United States.

Slavery was justified by racist ideologies and supported by laws that protected slave owners’ interests.

5. Describe slavery in the United States.

Over time, strong opposition to slavery emerged in the form of the abolitionist movement, especially in the northern states.

5. Describe slavery in the United States.

The issue of slavery caused deep political and social divisions between the North and the South. These tensions eventually led to the American Civil War (1861–1865).

5. Describe slavery in the United States.

During the war, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, declaring enslaved people in Confederate states free.

5. Describe slavery in the United States.

Slavery was formally abolished by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865.

5. Describe slavery in the United States.

Despite its abolition, the legacy of slavery has had long-lasting effects on racial inequality and social justice in the United States.