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Slaves arrive to america
First enslaved Africans arrive in Jamestown, setting the stage for slavery in North America. On August 20, 1619 -
The north abolishes slavery
Between 1774 and 1804, all of the northern states abolished slavery, but slavery remained absolutely vital to the South. -
American Civil War begins
Eleven southern states seceded from the Union in 1861 after President Lincoln was elected. The war was fought for four years mostly in the southern part of the country. -
Emancipation Proclamation is signed
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." -
Reconstruction era begins
a period in American history following the American Civil War; it lasted from 1865 to 1877 and marked a significant chapter in the history of civil rights in the United States -
American Civil War ends
After years of fighting, the South surrendered and slavery was outlawed in America -
13th amendment is ratified
Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States -
Reconstruction era ends
Civil rights have been established by congress. There have been other amendments passed along the way.