Slave state

A slave state is a U.S. state that had legal slavery (overwhelmingly the enslavement of African-Americans, although historically also the enslavement of Native Americans, and whites through indentured servitude) in the period before the American Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. The 15 slave states at the time of the Civil War were Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. (The District of Columbia also had slavery prior to the Civil War.) The last state to abolish slavery before the war was New Jersey in 1846, although the laws of that state retained slaves over a certain age as "apprentices for life" until the 13th Amendment.

Related Topics:
U.S. state - Slavery - African-American - Native American - Indentured servitude - American Civil War - Emancipation Proclamation - Alabama - Arkansas - Delaware - Florida - Georgia - Kentucky - Louisiana - Maryland - Mississippi - Missouri - North Carolina - South Carolina - Tennessee - Texas - Virginia - New Jersey - 1846

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All but four of these states seceded in 1860 and 1861 to form the Confederate States of America; Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri did not leave the Union. (The District of Columbia also remained part of the Union.)

Related Topics:
1860 - 1861 - Confederate States of America - Delaware - Kentucky - Maryland - Missouri - Union

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