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Northern States Start Abolishing Slavery
In 1774 many northern states started the process of abolishing slavery and by 1804 most had completely abolished it. Many of these northern states didn't need these slaves for their agricultural pursuits and compared it to the oppression they felt from the British, which is what started the movement for the abolishment of slavery. -
Congress Outlaws Slave Trade
In 1808 Congress officially outlawed the trade of African slaves, however, this didn't stop domestic trade, which instead began to flourish. Following this, the number of slaves in the U.S. nearly tripled over the next 50 years, and by 1860 there were over 4 million slaves in the United States -
Underground Railroad
Anti-slavery northerners helped enslaved people as much as they could. In order to help free them they used a system of safe houses where slaves could stay as they traveled north. This passage was called the Underground Railroad, some practices dated back to the 1780s but it really gained momentum in the 1830s. Harriet Tubman was a popular guide, she and other guides saved around 40,000-100,000 enslaved people and helped them get freedom. -
'The Liberator' was Published
'The Liberator' was an abolitionist newspaper written by William Lloyd Garrison in the early 1830s until 1865 at the end of the Civil War. He revealed firsthand accounts of the horrible things that were happening to slaves in the South. It was limitedly published but was still debated heavily in public. This opened a lot of people's eyes to the cruelty involved with slavery, allowing abolitionists to gain more supporters. -
Slave Rebellions
In the 1800s many groups of slaves tried to rebel against their white oppressors, but very few were successful. However, in August of 1831, a group of slaves from Virginia led by Nat Turner were able to kill around 55 white men, before an armed resistance showed up to stop them. This was, for many white oppressors, the most terrifying revolt. This revolt, however, only led supporters of slavery to strengthen slave codes even more, in order to slow the progression of the enslaved people. -
Anti-Slavery Society
The American Anti-slavery Society was a national organization created in 1833 whose mission was to end slavery. They encouraged members to hold public lectures, boycott, and post publications. They urged their members to act through non-violent actions in order to peacefully take power back. The society had a constitution and declaration created by Williams Lloyd Garrison. -
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
In 1850 a law was passed as a part of the Compromise of 1850, it allowed 'slave-hunters' to capture run-away slaves without due process and banned people from aiding escaped slaves or getting in the way of their recapture. Slaves were also forced to return to their owners, even if they were in a free state. This caused outrage among the northerners who didn't agree with the Compromise, they only became more defiant in their support, proposing ways to justify noncompliance with this law. -
Civil War and The Emancipation Proclamation
Civil war broke out between the North and South states, it wasn't all about slavery, however, it was about keeping the nation whole. On September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln put his preliminary emancipation proclamation into effect. On January 1, 1863, he made it official that “slaves within any State, or designated part of a State…in rebellion,…shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” This, however, did not completely end slavery, which was completed by the creation of the 13th Amendment. -
13th Amendment was ratified
On December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment was ratified. It marked the end of the argument on whether or not slavery was legal in the United States. It states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” -
Free but Struggling
After the 13th Amendment was enacted nearly 4 million slaves were now free. This posed a problem for them though, many weren't educated, they had no place to stay, no job to support them, weren't U.S. citizens yet, and couldn't vote. It took a lot of adjustment for these people to be even a little comfortable living amongst the people who had just previously owned them. To escape their previous lives, they journeyed north or west, in hopes of making a better life.