Development Worldwide of the Emancipation Laws in the Nineteenth Century

Nannette Porter
HIWD – 370: Comparative Civilization
Instructor Katie Stewart
October 13, 2015

Slavery had been a part of civilization since villages, and small communities began to form. The topic of slavery is an important part of our heritage, knowing how it began and what humanity has done to control it. It is interesting to see how Christianity can change the heart of one person, who can affect the change in a country. One small adjustment, thousands of miles abroad, can affect any civilization and history of many countries. During the 19th century many countries developed laws to gradually or immediately shift civilization away from slavery. This paper explores the religious influences motivating this shift in the legal system as well as the consequences of these laws on work civilization.

Slavery was found worldwide and came in many different forms. The most common was the Slave, treated as chattels and wild animals, having no rights and endured harsh physical abuse. The Slave was known more and referred to as the ‘Western Slave’ more commonly found in America. Serfdom, a Russian repression, was a different form of slavery. Serfs were not a legal person, had no property rights, no right to credit transactions and not protected by custom. However, a serf had his own land and property, unlike in slavery. Serfdom was found in China, Japan, India and elsewhere. Muslim Slaves were another form of slavery who was not totally chattel nor altogether human. The owner of the slave maintained unrestricted legal rights to their slave. Muslim slavery was found in Syria, Egypt, Turkey and other countries. The economy of Africa relied mainly on slave trade. In Dahoney, located on the western coast of Africa, they relied much on the trade of human