Back in the nineteenth century, the United States of America was among the last countries to abolish slavery, but even though it took a bitter civil war to bring it about, slavery was officially abolished there when Congress passed the Thirteenth Amendment on January 31st, 1865.
Unfortunately, slavery did not end everywhere, and indeed still exists today. Despite the article in the United Nations 1948 Declaration of Human Rights which states: “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms,” there are still millions of slaves in the world, including some in countries where it was officially abolished over two centuries ago.
For more on modern slavery, visit:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/19/world/global-slavery-estimates-ilo/index.html
https://www.endslaverynow.org/learn/slavery-today
Some may even (indirectly) work for you, if you buy products produced by their labour.
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/5-companies-using-slave-labor
http://slaveryfootprint.org/#medicine_cabinet
