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Beginning of the Slave Trade
Or at least when it first became popular to ship slaves to the newly established colonies, slavery first beginning to worm its way into the foundations of our society. -
Period: to
Colonization - Reconstruction
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Enlightenment
The Enlightenment occurs and begins to gain ground, during which time the question of human rights first arises and the practice of slavery is first challenged as a moral wrong. -
Three-fifths Compromise
An agreement is reached that slave populations only count for 3/5ths their actual population count: each person is effectively "3/5ths" of a person. -
Slave Trade Banned
In the United States of America, it is now illegal to import slaves from Africa. -
Dred Scott Vs. Sanford
It is declared that: Any person descended from Africans, whether slave or free, is not a citizen of the United States, according to the Declaration of Independance; The Ordinance of 1787 could not confer freedom or citizenship within the Northwest Territory to non-white people, and that The provisions of the Act of 1820, known as the Missouri Compromise, were voided as a legislative act because the act exceeded the powers of Congress. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Freed virtually all slaves currently residing in states under Confederate control. -
Thirteenth Amendment
Abolishes and prohibits slavery or involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime. -
Fourteenth Amendment
Broadens the definition of citizenship, now including blacks and overulling the Dred Scott decision years previous. -
Fifteenth Amendment
Granted all citizens the right to vote, regardless of race, color, or previous servitude.