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First African slaves brought to Jamestown, Virginia, marking the beginning of slavery in what would become the United States.
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The American Revolution sparks early anti-slavery sentiment, with the first abolitionist society forming in Pennsylvania.
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The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade is formed in Britain, spearheaded by Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp.
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Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin, increasing demand for slave labor in the U.S.
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Britain passes the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, outlawing the transatlantic slave trade.
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The United States bans the importation of slaves, but domestic trade continues.
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William Lloyd Garrison publishes the first issue of The Liberator, a prominent anti-slavery newspaper in the U.S.
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The Slavery Abolition Act is passed in Britain, freeing slaves in most British colonies.
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The Amistad rebellion occurs, where enslaved Africans aboard a ship revolt and take control.
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France abolishes slavery in its colonies.
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Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom's Cabin is published, heightening anti-slavery sentiment.
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The Dred Scott decision rules that African Americans are not U.S. citizens, sparking further outrage among abolitionists.
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U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the Confederate states.
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The Thirteenth Amendment is ratified in the United States, formally abolishing slavery across the country.