--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mauritania officially abolished slavery…" description: "\"“Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1980, though its own government admitted that the practice continued nevertheless.”\" — Thomas Sowell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/thomas-sowell-247_slavery_mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery_710553.jpg" --- # Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1980, though… ![“Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1980, though its own government admitted that the practice continued nevertheless.” quote by Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/thomas-sowell-247_slavery_mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery_710553.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/thomas-sowell-247_slavery_mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery_710553.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/thomas-sowell-247_slavery_mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery_710553.jpg) > ““Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1980, though its own government admitted that the practice continued nevertheless.”” [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Official abolition does not guarantee practice; enforcement and cultural change are needed to end slavery. **In simple terms:** Abolition alone isn’t enough. Key Takeaway Ensure laws are enforced and attitudes shift. Themes human rights policy enforcement culture justice Mood concerned determined Type activist analytical When to use this quote - human rights advocacy - NGO work - government policy - education campaigns Key Concepts systemic oppression legal reform social norms Questions to Reflect On - How can societies monitor hidden abuses? - What mechanisms ensure compliance? A Different Perspective Legal change may be ignored without societal commitment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) ## Related quotes > [He who loves money must labor. Mauritania.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/african-proverb/he-who-loves-money-must-labor-mauritania/) African Proverb > [“Although definitive numbers are difficult to find, the Global Slavery Index estimates that at least a hundred and forty thousand people are enslaved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-definitive-numbers-are-difficult-to-find-the-global-slavery/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln convinced Congress to pass the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery throughout the nation. 4)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pope-osborne/in-1865-president-abraham-lincoln-convinced-congress-to-pass-the-13th/) [Mary Pope Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pope-osborne/) > [The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery other than in prisons - but it was a lie that you regained your freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-burton/the-thirteenth-amendment-to-the-u-s-constitution-abolished-slavery/) [Susan Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-burton/) > [“The men and women of England who abolished slavery, created the educational system, or gave women the vote were not acting on the hypotheses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-vickers/the-men-and-women-of-england-who-abolished-slavery-created-the/) Geoffrey Vickers > [Well for one, the 13th amendment to the constitution of the US which abolished slavery - did not abolish slavery for those convicted of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/well-for-one-the-13th-amendment-to-the-constitution-of-the-us-which/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [“The prejudice of race appears to be stronger in the states that have abolished slavery than in those where it still exists,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/the-prejudice-of-race-appears-to-be-stronger-in-the-states-that-have/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [The arc of history is longer than human vision. It bends. We abolished slavery, we granted universal suffrage. We have done hard things before.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-arc-of-history-is-longer-than-human-vision-it-bends-we-abolished/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Americans have found it particularly difficult to come to terms with our “slave origins,” perhaps because the national history of the United States makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-wright/americans-have-found-it-particularly-difficult-to-come-to-terms-with/) Gavin Wright > [“Convicts had no meaningful legal rights at this time and no effective redress. They were understood, quite literally, to be slaves of the state.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/convicts-had-no-meaningful-legal-rights-at-this-time-and-no-effective/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [All these cries of having "abolished slavery," of having "saved the country," of having "preserved the union," of establishing a "government of consent," and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/all-these-cries-of-having-abolished-slavery-of-having-saved-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [I speak on due consideration because Britain, France, and Mexico, have abolished slavery, and all other European states are preparing to abolish it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-seward/i-speak-on-due-consideration-because-britain-france-and-mexico-have/) [William H. Seward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-seward/) > [Liberals have been driven to the desperate expedient of attributing . . .social pathology in today's ghettos to 'a legacy of slavery' even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/liberals-have-been-driven-to-the-desperate-expedient-of-attributing/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The black family survived centuries of slavery and generations of Jim Crow, but it has disintegrated in the wake of the liberals' expansion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-black-family-survived-centuries-of-slavery-and-generations-of-jim/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The greatest danger to the liberal vision are facts about the consequences of liberalism itself and the laws, policies, and ways of life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-greatest-danger-to-the-liberal-vision-are-facts-about-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## More by Thomas Sowell > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [There is no bigger waste of time than doing 90% of what is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/there-is-no-bigger-waste-of-time-than-doing-90-of-what-is-necessary/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-you-have-always-believed-that-everyone-should-play-by-the-same/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“In 1962, Democratic President John F. Kennedy, like both Democratic and Republican Presidents and Secretaries of the Treasury in earlier years, pointed out that “it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/in-1962-democratic-president-john-f-kennedy-like-both-democratic-and/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ideological-bigotry-has-become-the-norm-on-even-our-most-prestigious/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Bailing out people who made ill-advised mortgages makes no more sense that bailing out people who lost their life savings in Las Vegas casinos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/bailing-out-people-who-made-ill-advised-mortgages-makes-no-more-sense/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“One third of all Scots in the mid-nineteenth century moved from one county to another”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/one-third-of-all-scots-in-the-mid-nineteenth-century-moved-from-one/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The difference is that we have the hardest and most painful evidence that there was a Holocaust. But, for the global warming scenario that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-difference-is-that-we-have-the-hardest-and-most-painful-evidence/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Just as price fluctuations allocate scarce resources which have alternative uses, price controls which limit those fluctuations reduce the incentives for individuals to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/just-as-price-fluctuations-allocate-scarce-resources-which-have/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The greatest danger to the liberal vision are facts about the consequences of liberalism itself and the laws, policies, and ways of life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-greatest-danger-to-the-liberal-vision-are-facts-about-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Do all children have some inherent right to live in America if they have done nothing wrong? If not, then why should the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/do-all-children-have-some-inherent-right-to-live-in-america-if-they/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-eminent-domain-laws-mean-in-practice-is-that-politicians-have-a/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“those parts of the British Isles without the advantage of coal deposits or ports, industrialization was as handicapped as in other countries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/those-parts-of-the-british-isles-without-the-advantage-of-coal/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The whole idea of equal justice under law is completely incompatible with the idea of judges deciding cases according to "empathy".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-whole-idea-of-equal-justice-under-law-is-completely-incompatible/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) [Explore all 823 Thomas Sowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## More Slavery quotes > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/single-acts-of-tyranny-may-be-ascribed-to-the-accidental-opinion-of-a/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Can you look forward to the future of our country and imagine any state of things in which, with slavery still existing, we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dale-owen/can-you-look-forward-to-the-future-of-our-country-and-imagine-any/) [Robert Dale Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dale-owen/) > [My favorite Founding Fathers, Christians like John Adams, were absolutely appalled by slavery, and did not own slaves. I think we're going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/my-favorite-founding-fathers-christians-like-john-adams-were/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Slavery, if it can be legalized at all, can be legalized only by positive legislation. Natural law gives it no aid. Custom imparts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/slavery-if-it-can-be-legalized-at-all-can-be-legalized-only-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [If he's - the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a - is a noble institution I would - I would strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-he-s-the-inference-is-that-somehow-he-thinks-slavery-is-a-is-a/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-know-southern-men-declare-that-their-slaves-are-better-off-than/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Work is a vehicle with which man chases some fleeting destination called a full tummy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/work-is-a-vehicle-with-which-man-chases-some-fleeting-destination/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“Being a slave is to have nothing but still having something left to lose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lalita-tedemy/being-a-slave-is-to-have-nothing-but-still-having-something-left-to/) Lalita Tedemy > [Think about it: we went into slavery pagans; we came out Christians. We went into slavery pieces of property; we came out American citizens.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/think-about-it-we-went-into-slavery-pagans-we-came-out-christians-we/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [Man preys on man; and you mourn for the idle tapestry that decorated a gothic pillar, and the dronish bell that summoned the fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/man-preys-on-man-and-you-mourn-for-the-idle-tapestry-that-decorated-a/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [They don't really focus on that history here in America. I remember growing up as a kid, history class was very washed-over. They didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldis-hodge/they-don-t-really-focus-on-that-history-here-in-america-i-remember/) [Aldis Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldis-hodge/) > [We're living based on laws and ideas that we, as a society, embraced back in the days of slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-duvernay/we-re-living-based-on-laws-and-ideas-that-we-as-a-society-embraced/) [Ava DuVernay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-duvernay/) > [“To say to the slave who has not been emancipated 'Do not behave as a slave' is to mock his enslavement. But to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-murray/to-say-to-the-slave-who-has-not-been-emancipated-do-not-behave-as-a/) [John Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-murray/) [Browse all 2,997 Slavery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1980, though its own government admitted that the practice continued nevertheless.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Sowell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery-in-1980-though-its-own/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Slavery" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery-in-1980-though-its-own/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/thomas-sowell-247_slavery_mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery_710553.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/thomas-sowell-247_slavery_mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery_710553.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/thomas-sowell-247_slavery_mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery_710553.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1980, though its own government admitted that the practice…” — Thomas Sowell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Sowell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1980,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery-in-1980-though-its-own/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery-in-1980-though-its-own/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```