For as long as humanity has existed, slavery has been a mechanism used by people to subjugate and dehumanize other individuals. Abina and the Important Men is a book that illustrates how slavery could still occur, even after it was abolished within British society. By enslaving young women under the false pretense that individuals were protected, powerful African leaders and British rulers were able to maintain a social hierarchy in which African women occupied the lowest rung. The trafficking of Africans through the transatlantic slave trade brought wealth to European and other Western nations, as well as to African leaders willing to collaborate. Europeans, such as the Portuguese, British, and French, first began arriving in Africa in the 16th century as they were attracted by the valuable resources that could be found in coastal African societies. At first, African leaders were able to maintain power over Europeans and prevent foreigners. The trial was used to paint Abina as a complainant since there were other girls working for Quamina Eddoo who did not report him or his sister. Another reason Abina was silenced was that her perspective was not recorded. Although the court case was documented by a courtroom observer, Abina's personal account was not. It is likely to be assumed that Abina was illiterate as she was a slave from a young age and would not have been given the opportunity to study. Because of this, the audience does not know whether Abina's depicted story is an accurate representation of her story. The documented court hearing gives the reader a strong sense of who the powerful men in the room are as the dialogue was dominated by men. Another reason Abina's story was hushed up was because of her