Slavery is when someone is not allowed to be free and is owned by someone else. In Africa, from ancient times until the 1800s, some people were kept as slaves by other people, including African rulers, merchants and people from other countries. Slaves were not paid for their work and unable to leave their owners – they were treated like property. Slavery in Africa was a horrible experience for the slaves and it was only ended by brave people who fought to make it illegal.