Important Events of the Civil War By facebooker_100000345545947 Jan 1, 1619 20 Africans are sold as indentured servants in Virginia Jul 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal" but no changes are made to slavery. Jan 1, 1777 Vermount abolishes slavery Sep 17, 1787 The U.S. Constitution adopts the "Three-Fiths" Compromise Mar 1, 1794 Eli Whitney Invents Cotton Gin Jan 1, 1808 Importing Slaves becomes illegal Jan 1, 1849 harriet Tubman escapes slavery Jan 1, 1852 Uncle Tom's Cabin published Mar 6, 1857 Dred Scott Decision Jun 16, 1858 Lincoln Gives "A House Divided" Speech