LD
Modern Slavery
Adapted from: http://www.freetheslaves.net/Page.aspx?pid=301
1. Although slavery has existed for thousands of years, changes in the world’s
economy and societies over the past 50 years have enabled a reappearance of
slavery. Three trends have contributed most to the rise of modern slavery. The
first, a recent population explosion, has tripled the amount of people in the world,
with most growth taking place in the developing world. The second, rapid social
and economic changes, has displaced many to urban centers and their outskirts,
where people are powerless and without job security. The third, government
corruption around the world, allows slavery to go unpunished, even though it is
illegal everywhere. In this way millions have become vulnerable to a new form of
slavery. This new slavery has two prime characteristics that differentiate it from
the slavery of the past: slaves today are cheap and they are disposable.
Questions
1. What factors are responsible for the existence of “slavery” today? Fill in the
chart with the factors and their explanations.
Factor
Explanation
1._____________________
The number of people in the world has become TWICE
_______________________ / THREE TIMES / FOUR TIMES as high in recent
years. This has happened mostly in
_______________________________ countries.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Modern Slavery / 1
2._____________________
Many people today live in
_______________________ __________________________________. They
cannot find ______________________ (ONE WORD)
there.
3._____________________
Modern slavery is not _______________________
_______________________ (ONE WORD) by the __________________________
(ONE WORD) around the world.
2. According to paragraph 1, what are two major differences between modern
slavery and slavery of the past?
a. ____________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. In Old Slavery, also called chattel slavery, slaves were extremely expensive to
purchase and often yielded low profits for their owners. Since there was always a
shortage of potential slaves, and enormous costs associated with transporting
them from one continent to another, those already enslaved were considered
investments and held for generations. Their health was generally maintained (at
basic levels) and it was of enormous importance to assert ownership over this
valuable ‘property’. Slave-owners took great pains to emphasize the ethnic
differences between themselves and their investment.
3. New Slavery turns each of these characteristics on its head. An average slave
in the American South in 1850 cost the equivalent of $40,000 in today’s money;
today a slave costs an average of $90. In 1850 it was difficult to capture slaves
and then transport them to the US. Today, millions of economically and socially
_____________________________________________________________________________
Modern Slavery / 2
vulnerable people around the world are potential slaves. This “supply” makes
slaves today cheaper than they have ever been. Since they are so cheap, slaves
are no longer a major investment worth maintaining. Thus, they are often
maltreated. If slaves get sick, are injured, outlive their usefulness, or become
troublesome to the slaveholder, they are dumped or killed. For most slaveholders, actually owning the slave is an inconvenience since they already
maintain total control over the individual’s labor and profits. The slave-holder
cares more about these high profits than whether the holder and slave are of
different ethnic backgrounds; in new slavery, profit is more important than skin
color. Finally, new slavery is directly connected to the global economy. As in the
past, most slaves are forced to work in agriculture, mining, and prostitution. From
these sectors, their exploited labor flows into the global economy, and into our
lives.
Questions
3. What is another term for “old” slavery?
____________________________________
4. According to the information in paragraph 2, why did slave owners in the past
take better care of their slaves than today’s slave owners? (Find as many
answers as possible.)
______________________________________________________________
5. a. Which 2 words are used in paragraph 2 to refer to slaves?
____________________________
______________________________
b. What does this show about their status?
______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Modern Slavery / 3
6. Fill in the following table to explain the differences between old and modern
slavery.
OLD SLAVERY
MODERN SLAVERY
Cost of slaves
Supply of slaves
shortage of slaves
Health care of slaves
Ethnic background
ethnic background
doesn’t matter
7. Which kind of slaves yield a better profit? Circle your answer and explain.
SLAVES IN THE PAST
SLAVES TODAY
Why?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
8. In addition to the slave owners, who/what benefits from the “new slavery”?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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Modern Slavery / 4