Whenever we hear the word "slavery," we tend to think of the Southern United States during the pre-Civil War era. What many people don't know is that this horrible act happened all over the world! The term “slavery” has many different definitions and has occurred throughout the history of our world. It was not until the beginning of the 18th century that anti-slavery thinking arose. Many economic, social, and technological forces played a role in the decline of slavery around the world. The first definition that comes to mind when we hear this term is the act of being a slave or a person who does not own his own property. Work. While yes, this is a definition of slavery; it's just one of many. For example, our textbook defines slavery as the most extreme form of forced labor (Ember). Another definition would include: the status of one who is forced into servitude as the property of a slave owner or family ("Definition"). All these definitions are correct. Slavery is the act of holding/possessing another person against their will; a state in which one individual has complete control over the life, liberty, and fortune of another. Slavery did not only occur in the United States, but throughout the world. The act of slavery was widespread throughout the world, seen in places such as: Sumerian society; Greece; the Central Nigerian Society, Nupe; and, of course, the United States (Ember). Although slavery was common in all of these places, what differed was how slaves were obtained and maintained. One of the earliest documented stories of slavery dates back to 3000 BC in Sumerian society (Ember). Because this society was very complex, slaves were common in Sumer. Slaves were often prisoners brought back from war. In this way... in the middle of paper... at work and on the Web. April 12, 2014. "Dictionary, encyclopedia and synonyms". The free dictionary. Farlex and Web. 12 April 2014."Emancipation_Proclamation." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. April 10, 2014. Ember, Carol R., Melvin Ember, and Peter N. Peregrine. Anthropology. Thirteenth ed. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.Foner, Eric. "Slavery in the Modern World". Nation 298.7 (2014): 27-30. Premier of academic research. Network. April 10, 2014.Haldeman, Annette. “Slavery in the Modern World: A History of Political, Social, and Economic Oppression.” Reference 2011: 130-32. EBSCOHost. January 1, 2012. Web. April 12, 2014. Post, Charles. The American Melting Pot: Slavery, Emancipation, and Human Rights, Robin Blackburn, London: Verso, 2011. Rep. Vol. 20. Np: Historical Materialism, n.d. EBSCOHost. Network. April 12. 2014.