On this date, Vermont made history on July 2, 1777, by becoming the first American colony to abolish slavery in its state constitution. This was a groundbreaking move, setting a precedent for abolition in the northern states.

Following Vermont’s lead, other states took steps to end slavery:

1780 – Pennsylvania passed a gradual emancipation law, ensuring that children born to enslaved mothers would eventually be free.

1783 – Massachusetts and New Hampshire fully prohibited slavery. In Massachusetts, court rulings effectively ended the practice after the state’s constitution declared all men “born free and equal.”

1784 – Connecticut and Rhode Island also enacted gradual emancipation laws, phasing out slavery over time.

1799 & 1804 – New York and New Jersey followed with their own gradual emancipation laws.

These early efforts laid the foundation for the broader abolition movement, which would eventually lead to the nationwide end of slavery with the 13th Amendment in 1865.