Slavery lasted for different lengths of time depending on the region and context, but here are key timelines:
- Transatlantic Slave Trade: This brutal trade spanned over 400 years, from approximately 1526 to 1867, during which more than 15 million Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas
- Slavery in what became the United States: The institution of chattel slavery began in the early 17th century, with the arrival of enslaved Africans in 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia. Slavery legally persisted until the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865, which abolished slavery nationwide. This means slavery lasted about 246 years in the U.S.
- Slavery in other parts of the world: For example, slavery in Ethiopia persisted until 1942, and in northern Nigeria until 1936. The African continent experienced various forms of slavery for at least a millennium, including trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean slave trades, spanning roughly from the 9th to the 19th centuries
In summary, while the transatlantic slave trade and slavery in the Americas lasted roughly 400 years, slavery as a global institution existed in various forms for many centuries, sometimes lasting into the 20th century in some regions.
