1. Brief History of Slavery in America

2. 1619 First 20 Negroes brought to Jamestown Virginia from West Africa Originally as indentured servants By 1775 there were 400,000 slaves in America 300,000 of them in the South

3. 1776 Declaration of Independence Said nothing about slavery New England ship owners engaged in slave trade Southern plantation system needed cheep labor

4. 1787 Northwest Ordinance New territories of Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Michigan and Illinois are closed to slavery

5. Northwest Territory contd. July 13, 1787 “There shall be formed in said territory, not less than three nor more than five states Congress later decided to divide the Territory into the 6 states of Ohio (1803), Indiana (1816), Illinois (1818), Michigan (1837), Wisconsin (1848), Minnesota (1858).

6. 1789 U.S. Constitution 3/5 compromise is necessary to secure ratification of the Constitution Sets the stage for debate over the nature of the negro – person or property

7. 1793 Cotton Gin Cotton production is now more profitable than growing tobacco, rice, hemp or indigo Plantations grow rapidly increasing the need for cheep / free labor

8. 1800 Gabriel Prosser Slave Rebellion First recorded slave uprising in America 1804 All Northern States were committed to the elimination of slavery Little use to northern farmers and mill owners 1808 Importation of Slaves is prohibited by Federal Law

9. 1817 American Colonization Society Formed Back to Africa Negro will never be equal in a White Society Races should not be mixed

10. 1820 Missouri Compromise Fears of a Southern Majority in the Senate are overcome by admitting Missouri to US as Slave State Main is admitted as a Free State Prohibited slavery in most of what had been the Louisiana Territory

11. 1821 First Anti – Slave journal published Benjamin Lundy – white Quaker “The Genius of Universal Emancipation

12. 1822 Denmark Vesey Slave Revolt Charleston South Carolina Vesey was a free Black 80 Blacks in groups of 6 according to tribel lines All captured – some returned to owners 35 men including Vesey hanged and 37 sold out of state to eliminate trouble makers

13. 1829 Mexico Outlaws Slavery in Texas Mexico is a Catholic Country Catholics opposed slavery General Santa Anna moved against Texas to enforce the Mexican Constitution Death of David Walker in Boston

14. 1831 Nat Turner Slave Revolt Slave Revolt causes fear in Southern Whites Some southern states Negros outnumber whites 3 to 1 William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing anti- slave newspaper “The Liberator”

15. 1846 Wilmot Proviso No slavery in territory acquired from Mexico Stability in the Senate is threatened if territory is made into several states

16. 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

17. 1850 – Compromise of 1850 Millard Fillmore of East Aurora was President California admitted as a free state Territory of New Mexico and Utah can decide the issue themselves Selling of slaves is banned in Washington D.C. Fugitive Slave Act is passed

18. Key Senators

19. 1852 Uncle Tom’s Cabin published Best Seller Good story 20 languages Tried for balanced portrayal but definitely anti - slave

20. Harriet Beecher Stowe

21. Southern Reaction George Fitzhugh Book – “Cannibals All” Northern Industrialists are no better than Cannibals

22. 1854 Kansas Nebraska Act Kansas and Nebraska Popular sovereignty Squatter Sovereignty Bleeding Kansas Balance in Senate is again in question

23. 1857 Dred Scott vs. Sanford Slaves are NOT Citizens Slaves can NOT sue in Federal Courts Slaves are Property and are protected by the Constitution

24. Chief Justice Roger Taney

25. 1859 John Brown’s Raid Brown sees self as Moses of the Black Man Hopes to arm Blacks and stage a rebellion Attacks the Federal Arsenal at Harpers Ferry Virginia

26. John Brown & Robert E. Lee Robert E. Lee dispatched from Washington to put down rebellion in Virginia