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.