The term identifies a specific form of enslavement where individuals are treated as personal property or commodities. Enslaved people are considered legally owned by their masters, similar to livestock or furniture. This ownership grants the enslaver the right to buy, sell, trade, and bequeath enslaved individuals as they see fit. A stark example existed in the antebellum United States, where enslaved Africans and their descendants were subjected to this system, their labor exploited and their human rights completely disregarded.
This dehumanizing practice held immense economic significance in various historical periods and regions. It fueled agricultural production, particularly in the cultivation of crops like cotton, sugar, and tobacco. The profits derived from this forced labor contributed significantly to the wealth and development of enslaver societies, while simultaneously suppressing the economic and social advancement of the enslaved. Understanding its nature is crucial for analyzing the complex social, economic, and political landscapes of societies that relied upon it.
