Spain ended slavery in Puerto Rico in 1873 and in Cuba in 1886, and Brazil abolished slavery in 1888. Today, few nations legally allow slavery. But slavery does continue in areas of Africa, Asia, and South America. No one knows exactly how many people still live in slavery. Most of these slaves are blacks and Indians who were captured in local conflicts or were sold to satisfy debts.
Slavery remains a strongly accepted custom among the people who practice it.
Therefore, some governments may not want to stop slavery, and other governments may be unable to end it even if they wished to do so. David Brion Davis, Litt.D., Sterling Professor of History and Director, Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition, Yale University. How to cite this article.