Exploitation examines slavery in the United States of America from the mid-1800s to the present. The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in 1865. Astonishingly, slavery continued, hidden and in the open. The First Transcontinental Railroad was constructed utilizing Chinese forced labor from 1863 to 1869.
Many of the fruits, vegetables, and juices we purchase are harvested using forced labor in the fertile California valleys and Florida orange groves. According to a 2013 FBI report, some 293,000 American youths are at risk of becoming victims of sex trafficking in the United States.
Collection of Viterbo University, Art Museum, La Crosse, Wisconsin.
