-
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Historical DocumentationThe Northwest Ordinance of 1787 outlawed slavery in the territory. -
Middle Passage
The Middle Passage
Between 1500-1800, 11 million slaves crosse the Atlantic, a trip known as the Middle Passage. -
Missouri Compromise of 1820
The Missouri CompromiseThe Missouri Compromise of 1820 prohibited slavery north of the 36-30 Line. -
Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854
In January 1854, Senator Stephen Douglas introduced a bill that divided the land west of Missouri into two territories, Kansas and Nebraska. He argued for popular sovereignty, which would allow the settlers of the new territories to decide if slavery would be legal there. Antislavery supporters were outraged because, under the terms of the Missouri Compromise of 1820, slavery would have been outlawed in both territories. -
Dred Scott's Fight for Freedom
Dread Scott Decision
A landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court held that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be American citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court, and that the federal government had no power to regulate slavery in the federal territories acquired after the creation of the United States. -
Formation of NAACP
1909 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is founded to promote equality for African Americans.
