1619: The first documented arrival of enslaved Africans in British North America occurred in 1619 when a Dutch ship brought 20 Africans to Jamestown, Virginia. These individuals were initially treated as indentured servants, but their status would later be formalized as slaves.
1776-1783: During the American Revolution, some enslaved African Americans fought for the British in exchange for freedom, while others served on the American side for promises of manumission. However, the revolution did not immediately lead to the abolition of slavery.
1793: The Fugitive Slave Act was passed, requiring the return of escaped enslaved individuals to their owners. This act made it more difficult for those seeking freedom to escape the institution of slavery.
1808-1865: The Transatlantic Slave Trade was officially banned in 1808, but it persisted illegally until 1865. During this period, an estimated 500,000 Africans were still illegally brought to the United States as slaves.
1820: The Missouri Compromise attempted to balance the number of slave and free states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. This compromise temporarily eased tensions but did not resolve the underlying issue of slavery.
1831: Nat Turner's Rebellion, led by enslaved Virginian Nat Turner, was one of the most significant slave revolts in U.S. history. The rebellion resulted in the deaths of approximately 60 white people and the execution of Turner and many other rebels.
1850: The Compromise of 1850 was another attempt to address the issue of slavery, admitting California as a free state, while establishing the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which made it easier to capture escaped enslaved individuals.
1854: The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise and inflamed tensions between anti-slavery and pro-slavery forces. This act played a significant role in escalating tensions leading to the Civil War.
1861-1865: The American Civil War was fought primarily over the issue of slavery, with the Northern states supporting its abolition and the Southern states fighting to maintain the institution. The war ended with the victory of the North, leading to the abolition of slavery with the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1865.