White abolitionists

• 1775: First American abolition society founded 

• 1776: Activist Black community forms in Boston 

• 1780: Black residents help win first abolition law 

• 1781-1783: Massachusetts freedom suits are turning point 

• 1798: Ivory and slavery: The deadly cost of a pianoforte 

• 1816: Unsung heroines play key movement roles 

• 1817-1819: Anti-slavery papers are movement pioneers 

• 1826: New group fosters Black abolitionist movement 

• 1826: John Greenleaf Whittier: Abolitionist poet, editor 

• 1827: Boycott of goods made by enslaved labor grows 

• 1829: Protests fail to stop expulsion of Native peoples 

• 1830: Abolitionists lead church desegregation effort 

• 1831: Flagship anti-slavery paper is launched 

• 1832: Black women form female anti-slavery society 

• 1832: Regional anti-slavery society birthed in Boston 

• 1832: Maria W. Stewart: Militant abolitionist, women's rights champion 

• 1833: Female anti-slavery groups proliferate 

• 1833: Abolition group is rare for being racially integrated 

• 1833: National anti-slavery group established 

• 1834: New songs help inspire anti-slavery activism 

• 1834: White mobs riot, rampage in two cities 

• 1835: Abolitionist women run gauntlet of Boston mob 

• 1837: Planter's daughters campaign for abolition, women's rights 

• 1837: Women's anti-slavery efforts transform town 

• 1838: Frederick Douglass escapes, reaches freedom 

• 1838: Abolitionists demand Congress restore free debate on slavery 

• 1839: New book spurs outrage at "slave breeding"

• 1838-1846: Cooperatives produce fair-labor goods, model shared values 

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

• 1839: Women's role is key issue in anti-slavery society split 

• 1842: "Under ground Rail-road" promoter transports hundreds to freedom 

• 1842: Sarah Parker Remond: Activist for human rights, women's suffrage 

• 1843: Abolitionists campaign against segregation, for interracial marriage 

• 1844: Sea captain branded for freedom voyage venture 

• 1845: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper: Poet, anti-slavery activist 

• 1845: Texas takeover decried as land grab for slavery 

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

• 1846: "Father" of Underground Railroad helps free 800 

• 1847: The North Star: Voice of Black abolitionism debuts

• 1847: Sloop captain carries fugitives to freedom

• 1848: Failed escape shows capital's role in slave trade

• 1849: Harriet Tubman: "Moses" is also top Union spy 

• 1850: Harsher Fugitive Slave Act is part of political deal 

• 1850-1860: Underground Railroad helps thousands secure freedom 

• 1851: Sojourner Truth: Activist for abolition, women's rights, prison reform 

• 1852: Uncle Tom's Cabin is praised, vilified 

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

• 1855: New party backs armed resistance to slavery 

• 1855: Black abolitionists help ban segregated schools 

• 1855: U.S. traders transport enslaved Chinese to Brazil 

• 1856: Anti-slavery champion beaten on Senate floor 

• 1856: White supremacists ravage anti-slavery bastion 

• 1858: Plan hatched for guerrilla war against slavery 

• 1859: John Brown hanged for treason after failed armory raid 

• 1860: Wide Awake: The movement that helps Lincoln win 

• 1860: Lincoln victory hailed as historic turning point 

• 1860: Boston mob disrupts meeting to honor John Brown 

• 1861: Pro-slavery sentiments roil Massachusetts town

• 1861: African Americans push to serve in military 

• 1862: Sculptor honors abolitionists, feminists 

• 1862: Lincoln to Black leaders: "Your people should live elsewhere" 

• 1863: Lincoln issues Final Emancipation Proclamation 

• 1863: Abraham Galloway: Militant activist, Union spy, civil rights leader 

• 1863: Anti-Black racism fuels deadly draft riots