The law and slavery

• 1579: Africans win freedom in first mass uprising

• 1641: Massachusetts gives legal green light to slavery

• 1644-1645: First slaving venture helps legitimize bondage in Massachusetts

• 1652 Rhode Island slavery ban is not enforced

• 1662: Racist laws reward rape of enslaved

• 1669: Virginia makes killing enslaved people legal

• 1676: Rebellion spurs imports of enslaved Africans

• 1676: Executions portend broad assault on Indigenous peoples

• 1700: Puritans debate: Is slavery Christian?

• 1705 Slave Codes deny rights, legalize barbarity

• 1734: Sarah Chauqum: Native American woman wins reparations

• 1739 Stono Rebellion fuels rise in militias

• 1739-1740: Native Americans use courts to win freedom

• 1746: Lucy Terry Prince: Resilient poet, storyteller

• 1755: Cash for scalps = license to kill Indians

• 1761: Jupiter Hammon: First published Black male poet

• 1762: Jenny Slew: Among first to win a freedom suit

• 1764: Tax law protest tied to growing rum industry

• 1771: Governor rebuffs proposed ban on slave imports

• 1772: Landmark ruling frees enslaved African in England

• 1773-1779: Black freedom petitions: "For the sake of justice, humanity"

• 1775: First American abolition society founded

• 1777: Vermont abolishes slavery; ban largely ignored

• 1777: Juno Larcom: Wins freedom after 46 years

• 1779: In New Hampshire, 20 enslaved Africans petition for freedom

• 1779: Pompey Brakkee: Wins compensation from Vermont enslaver

• 1780: Black residents help win first abolition law

• 1781-1783: Massachusetts freedom suits are turning point

• 1781: New Hampshire bans slavery, but full rights denied

• 1783: Belinda Sutton: Fights to be paid for 50 years in bondage

• 1784: Black Freemasons spur activism, advance abolitionist cause

• 1784: Suicides as protest revive abolitionist group

• 1784: Rhode Island, Connecticut embrace gradual abolition

• 1787: Slave states boost their power with "three-fifths" pact

• 1787: Flawed ordinance bans slavery, ignites land grab

• 1788: Massachusetts bans slave trades, expels "outsiders"

• 1789: Enslavers are majority in first U.S. Congress

• 1790: U.S. Congress: "You must be White to be a citizen"

• 1791: Prominent slave trader evades murder charges

• 1791: Largest private emancipation in U.S. history

• 1793: New law requires return of fugitives from slavery

• 1793: Province limits slave trade; moves to end slavery

• 1794: Slave trade law fails to curb trafficking

• 1800: Failed uprising inspired by revolutions overseas

• 1807: Slave trade banned after campaign by activists

• 1807: Smugglers deft slave import ban

• 1810: David Ruggles: Marshals support for freedom seekers

• 1816: "Fantasy" scheme to preserve U.S. slavery

• 1820: Maine becomes a free state in deal over slavery

• 1820: Maine slave trader first to be executed

• 1823: Supreme Court legitimizes theft of Native lands

• 1829: Protests fail to stop expulsion of Native peoples

• 1829: Walker's Appeal: A rallying cry for Black Americans

• 1829-1830: Pro-slavery mobs devastate Black Ohio communities

• 1831: Militias, mobs slaughter Black people after revolt

• 1831-1832: Brutal crackdown after Jamaica revolt sparks outcry

• 1833 Native leader designates “Days of Mourning” to mark colonists' arrival

• 1833: Attacks force closure of school for girls of color

• 1833: Britain frees 800,000, compensates enslavers

• 1835: Activists foil kidnappers, help fugitives to freedom

• 1835-1836: Colonists win Texas independence, protect right to enslave

• 1836: Abolitionist women gain freedom for enslaved girl

• 1836: Black women free two who fled bondage

• 1837-1838: Black activists organize for voting rights

• 1837 Wendell Phillips: Powerful voice for abolition

• 1838: 4,000 Cherokees perish on "Trail of Tears"

• 1838: Abolitionists demand Congress restore free debate on slavery

• 1839-1841: Revolts cast spotlight on illegal slave trade

• 1841: First history of Black people in U.S. published

• 1844: Sea captain branded for freedom voyage venture

• 1845: Texas takeover decried as land grab for slavery

• 1846: Congress allows slavery in future U.S. lands

• 1846: After defeat, Mexico ceded 55% of its land to U.S.

• 1846 "Father" of Underground Railroad helps free 800

• 1850 Harsher Fugitive Slave Act is part of political deal

• 1850: Martin Delany: Abolitionist leader, champions Black self-reliance

• 1854: Court case boosts anti-slavery sentiment

• 1854: Wisconsin activists help escapees, challenge Fugitive Slave Act

• 1854: New law fans flames of division over slavery

• 1854: Families move to Kansas to help make it a free state

• 1855: Pro-slavery men invade Kansas, steal election

• 1855: Personal liberty laws protect escapees

• 1856: White supremacists ravage anti-slavery bastion

• 1857: Supreme Court: Black Americans have no rights

• 1858: Illegal slave ship brings 400 African captives

• 1860: Last known slave ship carries over 100 captive Africans

• 1860: New schooner linked to illegal slave trade circle

• 1861: Freedom order revoked to keep states in Union

• 1862: Lincoln declares freedom for all

• 1862 Congress frees all enslaved people in Washington, D.C.

• 1862: U.S. hangs 38 Dakota for alleged war crimes

• 1862 Republicans build on military wins to pass progressive laws

• 1863: Anti-Black racism fuels deadly draft riots

• 1865: Refugees in Canada start coming home

• 1865: Planters mull plan to import Chinese laborers

• 1866: White mob kills voting rights advocates

• 1866: Wisconsin activists win voting rights campaign

• 1866: Racism robs African Americans of land reform benefits