Convention of People of Color
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hosts the 1st annual Convention of People of Color.
Underground Railroad Given Name
The Underground Railroad is given its name.
The Liberator Founded
William Lloyd Garrison founds The Liberator, the most famous anti-slavery newspaper.
Anti-Slavery Society Founded
The New England Anti-Slavery Society is founded.
Maria Stewart Speaks Out Against Slavery
Maria W. Stewart, a free black woman in Boston, Massachusetts, speaks out against slavery, becoming the first African-American woman to deliver a public lecture in the U.S.
Debates in Virginia Mark Beginning of Movement
Debates in Virginia concerning emancipation mark the beginning of the last antebellum movement toward abolition in the South.
North Carolina Prohibits Educating Slaves
North Carolina passes a law enforcing prohibition against teaching slaves to read and write as well as against providing slaves with reading materials like books or pamphlets.
Nat Turner Leads Slave Uprising
Nat Turner, an enslaved African American preacher, leads the most significant slave uprising in American history. He and his band of followers launch a short, bloody, rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia. The militia quells the rebellion, and Turner is eventually hanged. As a consequence, Virginia institutes much stricter slave laws.
Virginia Prohibits Religious Services
Virginia passes a law enforcing prohibitions against slaves congregating for religious service at night, regardless of whether black or white preachers hold those services.