Congress Prohibits Slave Trade (1808)
This law made the foreign slave trade (importation of slaves) illegal although lack of enforcement by the federal government enabled the trade to continue.
The Declaration of Independence (1776)
It introduced equality as a basic democratic principle when it stated that all men were created equal. But it never addressed the slavery issue. How do you reconcile the exercise of slavery with the declaration of freedom and liberty? This question led many to set their sites on the elimination of Slavery
Northwest Ordinance (1787)
divided the present day Midwest into territories and, reflecting the Revolutionary spirit, prohibited slavery. Many Northern States began banning slavery as it didn’t seem to fit with the ideals of the revolution.
The Constitution (1789)
Constitution is Ratified: According to the Constitution the slave trade could continue until 1808 and five slaves would be counted as three whites when determining representation in Congress. (3/5ths rule) This gave more power to southern whites in Congress. Slavery was not to be prohibited in any territory acquired by the United States in the future.
Free African AmericansNot all African Americans were slaves. By 1860, over 250,000 freedmen lived in the slave states as well as in the North. Some African Americans were financially secure. For example, Denmark Vesey, a former slaves, ran a successful carpentry business in Charleston, South Carolina, prior to his unsuccessful slave revolt in 1822. Many African Americans were active abolitionists, and ran schools, businesses, and churches. However, most African Americans experienced limiting voting and educational rights in the North as well as the South.
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.