The Beginnings of Slavery
No traceable beginning to human trafficking or sex trafficking. Known to be at least as far back as the Romans and Greeks. Slavery of all forms were legal, and people were forcibly moved from their homes to be sold to do anything and everything the buyers willed. This often resulted in the enslaved people being exploited sexually.
Haiti was the first country to officially abolish slavery in 1804 after the Haitian Revolution.
Slavery remained legal across the globe elsewhere until 1807 when England declared slavery illegal. Eventually, slavery in terms of the African Slave Trade was abolished by all other countries around the globe. However, other forms of slavery started to arise. Exploitation of people grew, and abolitionists had new fights to pursue.
Haiti was the first country to officially abolish slavery in 1804 after the Haitian Revolution.
Slavery remained legal across the globe elsewhere until 1807 when England declared slavery illegal. Eventually, slavery in terms of the African Slave Trade was abolished by all other countries around the globe. However, other forms of slavery started to arise. Exploitation of people grew, and abolitionists had new fights to pursue.
First Movements
In the mid to late 1800's, Josephine Butler created the first official movement against sex trafficking. It was created in England to eliminate the Contagious Diseases Acts. These acts forced women involved in prostitution, both forcibly involved and freely involved, to be listed and checked for sexually transmitted infections and diseases. Could be kept until seen as clean, or external symptoms disappeared. Police dictated who was or was not clean because they labeled the people as prostitutes. The Contagious Diseases Acts also allowed for the women to be displaced and moved without consent. Because of this forced movement, it was referred to as the white slave trade or white slave traffic.
While this was going on in Europe, the age of consent in almost every US state was raised from 10 to 16 between the years of 1880 and 1900.
The Contagious Diseases Acts was repealed in 1883. After this repeal, the abolitionist movement grew larger and international as it drew awareness to human trafficking and sex trafficking.
While this was going on in Europe, the age of consent in almost every US state was raised from 10 to 16 between the years of 1880 and 1900.
The Contagious Diseases Acts was repealed in 1883. After this repeal, the abolitionist movement grew larger and international as it drew awareness to human trafficking and sex trafficking.
International Waves
In 1904, some European countries create the International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic. This acknowledged the problem that the abolitionists wanted addressed. These treaties helped create the 1910 International Convention for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic. It was between 13 countries and created two articles to help define sex trafficking unofficially and declare these acts as immoral and punishable.
United Nations creates new agreement called the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others in 1949. This deems prostitution and trafficking as damaging to a person’s worth and dignity and therefore is prohibited. This made both prostitution and trafficking of persons illegal in the countries that signed.
United Nations creates new agreement called the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others in 1949. This deems prostitution and trafficking as damaging to a person’s worth and dignity and therefore is prohibited. This made both prostitution and trafficking of persons illegal in the countries that signed.
American Input
America passed the Mann Act of 1910 which was aimed at making it illegal to transport or move a female for “immoral purposes.” The Mann Act was amended to include all people in 1978, but the fight to amend it was geared towards including children. This amendment started a chain of amendments to the Mann Act designed to clearly define the types of exploitation.
The term sex trafficking is created in the 1980's by women’s rights activists. These activists wanted to clearly define consent and challenged the legality of prostitution. They wanted consensual prostitution to be separated from forced prostitution and other human trafficking issues. This cause lead to the Mann Act being amended yet again in 1986. This time changing the verbiage of the initial definition from “transporting any female for any immoral purpose” to “transporting any person for any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense.”
The term sex trafficking is created in the 1980's by women’s rights activists. These activists wanted to clearly define consent and challenged the legality of prostitution. They wanted consensual prostitution to be separated from forced prostitution and other human trafficking issues. This cause lead to the Mann Act being amended yet again in 1986. This time changing the verbiage of the initial definition from “transporting any female for any immoral purpose” to “transporting any person for any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense.”
Universal Definition
In February 2000, the United States government drafted the Trafficking Violence Prevention Act to distinguish sex trafficking and labor trafficking. It also helped gain victims more rights and protections as a result of the new definitions. After this passed, the United Nations created the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. These moves helped to create the first universal definition of sex trafficking.
Sources:
1. “Congress Passes Mann Act, Aimed at Curbing Sex Trafficking.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, November 13, 2009. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-passes-mann-act.
2. Hughes, Donna. “Combating Sex Trafficking: A History.” Fair Observer, May 8, 2014. https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/combating-sex-trafficking-history/.
3. Northeastern University. Background on Human Trafficking, 2011. http://www.northeastern.edu/humantrafficking/background-on-human-trafficking/.
4. Outreach. “Sources of Trafficking Victims in Early Imperial Rome and the Modern United States.” Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal, September 25, 2018. http://surj.stanford.edu/sources-of-trafficking-victims-in- early-imperial-rome-and-the-modern-united-states/.
5. “US History of Sexual Exploitation of Children (News).” Women At Risk International™, July 11, 2012. https://warinternational.org/us-history-of-sexual-exploitation-of-children-news/.
1. “Congress Passes Mann Act, Aimed at Curbing Sex Trafficking.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, November 13, 2009. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-passes-mann-act.
2. Hughes, Donna. “Combating Sex Trafficking: A History.” Fair Observer, May 8, 2014. https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/combating-sex-trafficking-history/.
3. Northeastern University. Background on Human Trafficking, 2011. http://www.northeastern.edu/humantrafficking/background-on-human-trafficking/.
4. Outreach. “Sources of Trafficking Victims in Early Imperial Rome and the Modern United States.” Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal, September 25, 2018. http://surj.stanford.edu/sources-of-trafficking-victims-in- early-imperial-rome-and-the-modern-united-states/.
5. “US History of Sexual Exploitation of Children (News).” Women At Risk International™, July 11, 2012. https://warinternational.org/us-history-of-sexual-exploitation-of-children-news/.