1. Delaware:
- In 1787, Delaware became the first state to gradually abolish slavery. The gradual abolition law meant children born to enslaved mothers would be free at age 25, and all remaining enslaved individuals would become free by the year 1827.
- However, the full emancipation didn't happen until 1865, when the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution abolished slavery throughout the country.
2. Kentucky:
- Kentucky remained a slave state throughout its early history.
- Slave laws in Kentucky restricted the rights and liberties of enslaved individuals and gave slave owners extensive power over their lives.
- Kentucky did not begin to experience significant movements to abolish slavery until the mid-19th century, and even then, efforts to end slavery faced resistance from slaveholders and their supporters.
- The state didn't completely eliminate slavery until the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865.
3. Maryland:
- Maryland was a slave state from its inception until the abolition of slavery in the US.
- Early in its history, Maryland attempted gradual emancipation efforts but faced challenges in implementing them.
- Although there was a growing antislavery movement in Maryland, it didn't gain significant traction until the 1850s and 1860s.
- Maryland's slavery laws also remained restrictive throughout most of its history.
- Finally, slavery was abolished in Maryland with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865.
4. Missouri:
- Missouri was a slave state after joining the Union in 1821.
- During the early 19th century, Missouri experienced tensions over slavery, particularly concerning its admission as a slave state and the issue of expansion of slavery into new territories.
- The state had proslavery and antislavery factions clashing, and laws maintained the institution of slavery and its related practices.
- Missouri remained a slave state until the end of the Civil War in 1865, when the 13th Amendment abolished slavery throughout the country.