Unbroken Chains: A 5,000-Year History of African Enslavement

Join Martin Plaut as he explores stories of enslavement in Africa, from the Egyptian pharaohs to the present day.

About the event

Slavery has profoundly impacted African societies over the past 5,000 years, from Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope and from Mauritania to Somalia.

Most discussions have focused on the horrors of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, but Indian Ocean slavery was just as extensive and endured for far longer. Likewise, North Africa’s Barbary corsairs raided as far as Britain and the Caribbean, enslaving hundreds of thousands of Europeans. The continent’s internal enslavement practices are similarly overlooked.

In this powerful talk, Martin Plaut presents a comprehensive account of the bondage systems that have scarred African communities throughout history, drawing special attention to the many Africans still enslaved today.

Additional information

This event is eligible for our 20% ticket bundle discount.

Book tickets to three or more different events across the festival and you can save 20%. Tickets must be purchased in the same transaction and the discount will automatically be applied within the basket.

About the speaker

Martin Plaut is the former Africa Editor for BBC World Service and has published extensively on African affairs. An adviser to the UK Foreign Office and the US State Department, he is now a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies.