Abolitionist Movement History and the Current Focus of the Anti-Human Trafficking Community

Change is only possible when people arise and demand it. The hard work of the abolitionists are what helped foster the end of slavery in the USA. Today, we wanted to reflect on the history of how this was made possible.

The abolitionist movement emerged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as a response to the widespread practice of slavery in the United States and other parts of the world. Abolitionists were individuals who believed that slavery was fundamentally wrong and that it should be abolished. They worked to raise awareness about the issue and to advocate for the end of slavery through a variety of means, including public speaking, writing, and lobbying.

One of the key figures in the abolitionist movement was William Wilberforce, who worked tirelessly to end the British slave trade and to free slaves in the British Empire. Wilberforce was a member of Parliament and he used his position to advocate for the abolition of slavery, eventually succeeding in passing the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, which ended the slave trade in the British Empire.

Other important figures in the abolitionist movement included Frederick Douglass, a former slave who became a leading abolitionist and writer, and Sojourner Truth, a former slave who became a prominent abolitionist and women's rights activist. Together, these and other abolitionists played a vital role in the fight to end slavery and to promote human rights and equality.

Since the abolitionist movement, the anti-trafficking movement has evolved and expanded to address a range of issues related to human trafficking and exploitation. Today, anti-trafficking organizations are focused on a variety of issues, including labor trafficking, sex trafficking, and the exploitation of children. They work to raise awareness about these issues and to advocate for policies and practices that will help to prevent trafficking and to support survivors.

Here at PURPOSE Jewelry and International Sanctuary, we are proud to be a part of the anti-trafficking community. We are a nonprofit organization working to empower and support women who have been affected by human trafficking and exploitation. We  provide a range of services to these women, including education, vocational training, and counseling, and it also works to raise awareness about human trafficking and to advocate for policies and practices that will help to prevent it.