Chronology 1619 En­ glish settlers in ­ Virginia purchase 20 Africans as indentured servants from a Dutch ship, leading to the emergence of slavery within 20 years. 1641 Mas­ sa ­ chu­ setts Bay Colony legalizes slavery. 1660 ­ Virginia legalizes slavery. 1663 Mary­ land becomes the first colony to enact slavery for life, severing the tie with the original Eu­ ro ­ pean ideal of “converting” slaves and granting them freedom thereafter. 1667 ­ Virginia revokes prior En­ glish law that allowed freedom for converted slaves. 1688 February Quakers of Germantown, Pennsylvania, or­ ga ­ nize the first protest against slavery. 1739 September Slaves rebel in Stono, South Carolina, ­ after Spanish decree ensures freedom and land in Florida. 1775 The Pennsylvania Abolition Society is or­ ga ­ nized to protect the rights of blacks who are held unlawfully. 1776 July Declaration of In­ de ­ pen­ dence, which reads, “All men are created equal.” 1777 Vermont abolishes slavery.
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