Abolition
6 facts
January 31, 1865
Thirteenth Amendment Ratified
The 13th Amendment abolishing slavery was ratified by the required number of states.
February 14, 1818
Frederick Douglass Born
Abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland.
September 18, 1850
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Signed
The Fugitive Slave Act required the return of escaped enslaved people, intensifying abolitionist efforts.
March 22, 1873
Slavery Abolished in Puerto Rico
Spain abolished slavery in Puerto Rico, freeing over 29,000 enslaved people.
May 24, 1854
Fugitive Slave Anthony Burns Arrested in Boston
The arrest and trial of fugitive slave Anthony Burns in Boston sparked massive protests and deepened Northern opposition to slavery.
June 1, 1785
Marquis de Lafayette Advocates for Black Freedom
The Marquis de Lafayette, inspired by the American Revolution, purchased a plantation in French Guiana to free the enslaved workers as an experiment in emancipation.