In 1865 the United States passed the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution which formally abolished the practice of slavery in the United States. More than a century has passed since today, yet somewhere behind the mask of freedom that our country guards with such pride, a profession is hidden. This is the modern slavery trade that remains prevalent in our country. Despite the freedoms we are afforded as citizens of the United States, human trafficking is a huge problem that is often overlooked. Very little light is actually shed on this topic, but the terrible reality is there. Every day women, children and even men are kidnapped, torn from their families and forced into free labor and sexual exploitation. As many as 9,298 cases of human trafficking have been reported, according to a new report from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. in the last five years, but these are only the cases where it has been reported. Furthermore, the report also shows that from December 7, 2007 to December 31, 2012, cases of human trafficking were reported in all 50 states. How many others remain under the radar? One of the definitions given for slavery is the state or condition of being a slave; a civil relationship whereby one person has absolute power over another and controls their life, liberty, and fortune. Life and liberty are paired with the pursuit of happiness in the preamble of the Constitution. Slavery emphasizes the idea of ​​complete ownership and control by a master. This is exactly what these slave owners do. They take away from the individual the supposed rights granted by God as a human being. The legal definition of trafficking does not require elements of physical restraint, bodily harm, or physical… middle of paper… girls or boys, women or men. These innocent people are deceived, bought and sold like property. There are so many American organizations fighting against modern slavery in third world countries, but the question of turning a blind eye still seems to be overlooked in the United States. or simply not knowing that human trafficking happens every day, in every state of the United States of America, the home of freedom. These problems need to be brought to light so that greater efforts can be made to put an end to this terrible trade. Works Cited Kara, Siddharth. Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. New York: Columbia UP, 2009. 5. Print.Lerner, Sara. "Human Trafficking in the United States: One Woman's Story." NPR. NPR, July 31, 2010. Web. November 21, 2013. Unknown. “Sex trafficking of U.S. minors.” FOR SALE. Np, 20 October 2013. Web. 21 November. 2013.