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The New York Slave Revolt
In the early 1700’s, New York had a high percentage of slaves that worked right alongside free men. On April 6, 1712, a large group of slaves set fire to a building to rebel against slavery. By December there were laws passed by the New York Assembly which would allow slave owners to punish their slaves at their own will. In turn, New York would avoid a further slave uprising for twenty nine years. -
James Oglethorpe & Georgia
The vision James Oglethrope had for Georgia was one that followed the ideals of the Age of Reason, by establishing a society for the poor and one that would not support slavery. In 1735, he was able to gain the support of the House of Commons and an actual ban on slavery in Georgia would be passed. Over time, this ideal would not hold with the citizens of Georgia and by 1750 slavery would be present. He along with other leaders, were the first to push for a ban on slavery. -
Stono Rebellion
Just 27 years after the slave revolt in New York, the Stono Rebellion happens in South Carolina as the perseverance for freedom and liberty is demanded. Again, with destruction of property and white slave owners being injured and killed, South Carolina responds with laws to further suppress black slaves. These are known as the Negro Acts of 1740, they took away simple rights such as learning to write and growing their own food. -
Dunmore's Proclamation
Dunmore's Proclamation was a strategy used by Great Britain to increase their man power against the colonists. If slaves and endentured servants would join and fight with Great Britain, and leave their slave master, they would earn their freedom. Again, citizens were not happy with the repression received from Great Britain and Lord Dunmore would be run out of Virginia in 1776. -
Thomas Jefferson & the missing passage in the Declaration of Independence
During the writing of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote a passage attacking the ideals of slavery and insisting on a land with freedom and liberty for all mankind. This caused a tremendous debate among the delegates, and inevitably the passage would be deleted altogether from the final draft of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. -
Northwest Ordinance
Again, Thomas Jefferson is moving toward the abolishment of slavery in North America. When Congress enacts the Northwest Ordiance, in all of the land north of the Ohio River Valley, slavery will be banned. Despite what seems like such good intentions, in 1804 the Ohio Black Codes will be enacted and restrictions will continue to be placed against black citizens of Ohio. This is a great example of the extreme give and take happening against the idea of slavery in America. -
Slave Importation Ban
The Slave Importation Ban of 1808 was one of the first acts of Congress that would start a movement toward abolishing the transatlantic slave trade. Though slaves were no longer allowed to be imported, the true end to slavery would not be seen until 1865. With the acts of rebellion and leaders setting precedent for the abolishment of slavery, slowly but surely, change will occur.
