The enslavement of humans by humans was considered a given for many centuries. With the conquest of America and the forced transport of around 12 million Africans to the New World, the slave trade reached a new dimension. The authors demonstrate how this human trafficking accelerated the globalization of the economy and connected Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. The everyday lives of slaves are also depicted, along with their struggle for a dignified existence and the centuries-long debates surrounding slavery until its official abolition in the 19th century. A book for anyone interested in the beginnings of globalization and one of its darkest chapters.