Events leading up to the Civil War By jordanratliff1 May 14, 1619 Purchase of the first slaves English Settlers in Virgina purchase 20 Africans from a dutch ship May 14, 1641 Massachusetts Bay Colony legalizes slavery May 15, 1660 Virginia legalizes slavery May 15, 1775 Pennsylvania Aboltion Society that protects the rights of slaves May 15, 1777 Vermont an American colony are the first government entity Jun 15, 1796 Tenessee becomes the sixteenth state and eners the Union a slave state May 15, 1804 New Jersey's legislature announces a gradual emancipation act Sep 28, 1834 Slavery abolished throughout the British Empire Period: Jan 1, 1861 to Dec 31, 1862 Civil War Jan 15, 1861 South Sucedes Feb 14, 1861 South Creats a governments Feb 16, 1861 South Seizes Federal forts
