Enslaver

Definition

A person who held others in slavery and exercised control over their labour and lives. Many historians prefer the word to terms that suggest ownership was legitimate, such as master or owner, because it names the act of enslaving. Enslavers included merchants, planters, ship captains, institutions and governments. The word does not tell you about the person's whole life, but it stays accurate about their role. See also: enslaved person, chattel slavery, and the guide Teaching the Slave Trade Sensitively.