Abolition refers to the movement to end slavery and the slave trade, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries. Activists, known as abolitionists, fought tirelessly to promote the idea that all people deserve freedom and equal rights. Key figures in this movement included Frederick Douglass, a former enslaved person who became a powerful speaker, and Harriet Tubman, who helped many escape through the Underground Railroad. The abolitionist movement led to significant changes, including the Emancipation Proclamation in the United States, which declared that all enslaved people in Confederate states were to be set free. This movement not only transformed societies but also laid the groundwork for future civil rights advancements.