Here is a timeline.
In 1676 the first open rebellion involving slaves in the North America took place in Virginia under the leadership of a black servant named Nathaniel Bacon.
Then in 1739, slaves living in Stono, South Carolina killed at least 21 whites on plantations along the Stono River.
In 1776 the Declaration of Independence proclaimed that "all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". This declaration had a profound effect on the cause of abolitionism, with the words used to inspire many antislavery activists and slaves alike.
In 1808, the international slave trade was abolished. This meant no new enslaved Africans could be brought into the United States, although domestic slave trade increased to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding cotton plantations in the South.
In 1861 the southern states voted to leave the Union because of the issue of slavery. This started the American Civil War, and the institution of slavery was finally abolished in 1865 with the passing of the 13th Amendment to the US constitution.