Black History Milestones from 1619 to 1865

Slavery Comes to North America (1619) - Why slaves were brought to North American colonies

Enslaved people were brought to the North American colonies for labor-intensive cash crops. Plantation owners needed reliable workers to cultivate crops such as tobacco, rice, sugar, and cotton. Labor shortages, ecnomic profit, and racist justifications were also reasons

Slavery Comes to North America (1619) - The Constitution on slavery:

Protected slavery by guaranteeing slaveowners the right to reclaim any escaped slaves. 

Slavery Comes to North America (1619) - Slavery in the North by the end of the 18th century

Slavery was abolished

Slavery Comes to North America (1619) - Congress acts in 1808

Passes a legislation that prohibited the importation of enslaved people into the United States.

Rise of the Cotton Industry (1793) - 1793

Eli Whitney’s cotton gin affects the South’s economy: He developed a device to remove seeds from cotton quickly.

Rise of the Cotton Industry (1793) - 1793 Fugitive Slave Act

It is a federal crime to assist an enslaved person trying to escape

Nat Turner’s Revolt (August 1831) - 1831 Slave Rebellion

Nat Turner, inspired by religious conviction, led the only significant slave rebellion in U.S. history. The revolt created tension among Southern slaveholders, leading to stricter laws restricting the rights and freedoms of enslaved and free Black people.

Abolitionism and the Underground Railroad (1831) - Quakers

They were early abolitionists that opposed slavery on religious grounds.

Abolitionism and the Underground Railroad (1831) - William Lloyd Garrison

Part of the movement on northern radical abolitionists ,  voiced strong opposition to slavery through publications like The Liberator.

Abolitionism and the Underground Railroad (1831) - The Underground Railroad

 A network of secret routes and safe houses, helped many enslaved individuals escape to free states

Dred Scott Case (March 6, 1857) - Scott v. Sanford

Dred Scott, an enslaved man, sued for his freedom after living in free territories. The Supreme Court ruled against him, declaring that Black people were not U.S. citizens, but property.

Dred Scott Case (March 6, 1857) - Effect on Missouri Compromise

All territories allowed slavery and could exclude when they became states.

John Brown’s Raid (October 16, 1859) - Harper’s Ferry raid

Tried to get arsenal for slaves so they could kill slaveowners

John Brown’s Raid (October 16, 1859) - Effects on the Nation

His actions increased Southern fears of abolitionist violence and convinced many Southerners that secession was necessary, contributing to the onset of the Civil War.

Civil War and Emancipation (1861) - Abraham Lincoln

When he is elected president, the crowd secedes, creating the confederacy. He had antislavery views. He wanted to reunite the union.

Civil War and Emancipation (1861) - Emancipation Proclamation

The freedom for enslaved people in Confederate states. This shifted the war’s aims toward abolition, allowed Black men to serve as soldiers in the Union Army, and helped undermine the Confederacy.