FIRST ANTI-SLAVERY LAW ENACTED

1652

In 1652, Rhode Island enacted the first anti-slavery law in the British colonies. The law limited the enslavement of Black people (the law did not apply to Native Americans) to ten years; however, the law was rarely enforced. Rhode Island eventually passed a plan for gradual emancipation more than a century later in 1784.

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AMERICA'S FIRST ANTI-SLAVERY STATUTE WAS PASSED IN 1652. HERE'S WHY IT WAS IGNORED