The Anti-Slavery Project
From the Slave Trade to Human Trafficking

Historian and human rights scholar Joel Quirk examines the evolution of political opposition to slavery from the mid-eighteenth century to the present day. He offers an original diagnosis of the underlying causes driving one of the most pressing human rights problems in the world today.

Beginning with the abolitionist movement in the British Empire, Quirk analyzes the philosophical, economic, and cultural shifts that eventually resulted in the legal abolition of slavery. By viewing the legal abolition of slavery as a cautious first step-rather than the end of the story-he demonstrates that modern anti-slavery activism can be best understood as the latest phase in an evolving response to the historical shortcomings of earlier forms of political activism. By exposing the historical and cultural roots of contemporary slavery, The Anti-Slavery Project presents an original diagnosis of the underlying causes driving one of the most pressing human rights problems in the world today. It offers valuable insights for historians, political scientists, policy makers, and activists seeking to combat slavery in all its forms.

Introduction: The Anti-Slavery Project PART I: THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND THE LEGAL ABOLITION OF SLAVERY 1. A Short History of British Anti-Slavery 2. British Anti-Slavery and European International Society 3. British Anti-Slavery and European Colonialism PART II: LINKING THE HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY 4. The Limits of Legal Abolition 5. Defining Slavery in All Its Forms PART III: CONTEMPORARY FORMS OF SLAVERY 6. "Classical" Slavery and Descent-Based Discrimination 7. Slaves to Debt 8. Trafficked into Slavery Conclusion: Contemporary Slavery in the Shadow of History Notes Index Acknowledgments