Abolition Facts for Kids

Abolition means officially ending something by law. It's about stopping a practice or system that is seen as unfair or harmful.

What is Abolition?
- Abolition of Slavery
- Other Forms of Abolition
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What is Abolition?

Abolition is when a government or society decides to completely get rid of something through laws and actions. This often happens after many people work together to show why something needs to change. It's a big step that can lead to major shifts in how a country works.

Abolition of Slavery

One of the most famous examples of abolition is the ending of slavery. Slavery was a terrible system where one person owned another. Enslaved people were forced to work without pay and had no freedom. They were treated as property, not as human beings.

Why Slavery Was Abolished

For centuries, slavery was common in many parts of the world. However, as ideas about human rights and freedom grew, more and more people realized that slavery was wrong. They believed everyone should be free and have basic rights. This led to strong movements to end slavery.

How the Movement Grew

The movement to abolish slavery, known as Abolitionism, gained strength in the 18th and 19th centuries. People called abolitionists spoke out against slavery. They wrote books, gave speeches, and organized protests. They worked hard to convince governments and the public that slavery must end.

Key Figures: Many brave individuals played a part. For example, in Britain, William Wilberforce was a leading voice in Parliament. In the United States, people like Frederick Douglass, a former enslaved person, and Harriet Tubman, who helped others escape, were very important.
Public Awareness: Abolitionists shared stories of the cruelty of slavery. They showed how it harmed both enslaved people and society as a whole. This helped change public opinion.

Major Steps to Abolition

Different countries abolished slavery at different times:

Britain: The British Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act in 1807, which ended the trading of enslaved people. Then, in 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act freed enslaved people throughout most of the British Empire.
United States: Slavery was a major cause of the American Civil War (1861-1865). After the war, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1865, officially abolished slavery across the entire country.
Other Nations: Many other countries in Europe and the Americas also abolished slavery during the 19th century. Brazil was one of the last major countries to do so, in 1888.

Other Forms of Abolition

While the abolition of slavery is the most well-known, the term "abolition" can apply to ending other things too.

Abolition of Monarchy: This refers to ending the rule of kings and queens and replacing it with a different form of government, like a republic.
Abolition of Nuclear Weapons: This is a movement to get rid of all nuclear weapons around the world. People who support this believe these weapons are too dangerous and could cause massive destruction.
Abolition of Prisons: Some people believe that prisons should be abolished and replaced with different ways to deal with crime and justice.
Abolition of Suffering: This is a philosophical idea about trying to reduce or eliminate all suffering in the world, often through advanced technology or changes in how society works.

Abolition facts for kids

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