ABSTRACT
The political and social movement aimed at eliminating slavery.
In Great Britain and the United States, abolitionism was closely associated with other movements toward de mocratization. The organized movement to abolish slav ery began only in the last quarter of the 18th century. Prior to that period, social, political and religious insti tutions generally accepted and accommodated slavery. Throughout most of history, slavery was a fact of life, not an issue for debate. Even early democracies such as an cient Athens did not see slavery and democracy as in compatible. Athenians thought democracy dependent on slavery because slave labor freed citizens to participate in government.
