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The first Africans arrive in Virginia. The vast majority of slaves will be transported from Africa to the West Indies.
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The Declaration of Independence declares that "All men are created equal." In spite of that, slavery remains a legal institution in all thirteen of the newly-established states.
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The Northwest Ordinance bans slavery in the Northwest Territory
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Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin greatly increases the demand for slave labor.
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Congress bans the importation of slaves from Africa.
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Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery and becomes one of the most effective and celebrated leaders of the Underground Railroad.
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The Civil War ends. Lincoln is assassinated. The Thirteenth Amendment abolishes slavery throughout the United States.
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The Civil Rights Act was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against blacks and women, including racial segregation.
