Slavery has existed in different forms for thousands of years , but in the context of the Atlantic slave trade and legal chattel slavery in the Americas, it lasted roughly 350–400 years , and in the United States it lasted about 250 years before being abolished in 1865.

Key timelines at a glance

  • Ancient forms of slavery: attested in many societies from at least the first millennium BCE (for example, Athens and Rome) and continued in various forms for centuries.
  • Atlantic slave trade: usually dated from the late 15th century (c. 1492–1500s) to the 19th century , with large‑scale trafficking of enslaved Africans to the Americas lasting about 350 years.
  • Slavery in what became the United States:
    • Enslaved Africans are recorded in English Virginia by 1619.
* Legal chattel slavery is abolished nationwide with the **13th Amendment in 1865** , giving a span of roughly **246 years** (1619–1865) if you use those bookends.
  • Abolition worldwide (legal):
    • Major powers ended slavery in the 19th century (for example, Britain in the 1830s in its colonies, France in 1848, the U.S. in 1865, Brazil in 1888), so legal chattel slavery in the Atlantic world persisted into the late 1800s.
* Some forms of slavery and forced labor persisted, or were re‑created, into the **20th century** and today survive as **modern slavery / human trafficking** , even though they are illegal.

A simple way to think about it

  • If you mean “How long did slavery last in human history?”
    → It stretches across most recorded history, well over 2,000 years , in many regions and cultures.
  • If you mean “How long did the Atlantic system of African slavery last?”
    → Roughly 15th century to late 19th century (about 350–400 years), depending on which start and end dates you pick.
  • If you mean “How long did slavery last in the U.S.?”
    → About two and a half centuries in law and practice, commonly framed as 1619–1865.

In other words, there is no single exact number, because “slavery” refers to an institution that appeared in many times and places, ending at different moments—legally in the 19th century in much of the Atlantic world, but continuing in other forms into the present.

TL;DR:

  • Human societies have used slavery in various forms for millennia.
  • The Atlantic slave trade era lasted about 350–400 years.
  • Legal chattel slavery in the United States endured for about 250 years , ending in 1865—but related systems of exploitation and modern slavery still exist, even though they are illegal.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.