Pre-Civil War

  • Massachusetts Colony legalizes slavery

    The colony of Massachusetts legalizes the trade, ownership, and control of slaves.
  • Other colonies begin to legalize slavery

    Virginia and other colonies start to legalize slavery
  • Pennsylvania Abolitionist Society

    The Pennsylvania Abolitionist Society is organized to protect the rights of blacks unlawfully held as slaves.
  • Vermont abolishes slavery

    Vermont becomes the first colony to abolish slavery in all parts of the colony.
  • North slowly gives in

    Colonies like Masschusetts and Pennsylvania begin to abolish slavery gradually through out the colonies.
  • slavery gets stronger

    Tennessee, Kentucky, and other southern states become legally slaves states.
  • 1810 census

    In the 1810 census, its shows 17% of all population with more than a million slaves. Slaves were virtually non-existent in the North but were record high in South Carolina (47%) and Georgia (42%).
  • New York

    New York abolishes slavery. A big step for the anti-slavery commity.
  • Harriet Tubman

    Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery in Maryland. She reportedly returned to the South 19 times and brought out more than 300 slaves.
  • Abraham Lincoln

    Abraham Lincoln inaugurated as sixteenth president of the United States - view Lincoln's First Inaugural Address. The Civil war begins.