The beginning of the anti-slavery movement Slavery in the colonial United States

african , african american slaves expressed opposition slavery through armed uprisings such stono rebellion (1739) , new york slave insurrection of 1741, through malingering , tool-breaking, , commonly, running away, either short periods or permanently. until revolutionary era, no white american colonists spoke out against slavery. quakers tolerated slaveholding (and slave-trading) until mid-18th century, although emerged vocal opponents of slavery in revolutionary era.

in 1688, 4 german quakers in germantown, town outside philadelphia, wrote petition against use of slaves english colonists in nearby countryside. presented petition local quaker meeting, , meeting sympathetic, not decide appropriate response should be. meeting passed petition chain of authority philadelphia yearly meeting, continued ignored , archived , forgotten 150 years. in 1844 petition rediscovered , became focus of burgeoning abolitionist movement. first public american document of kind protest slavery. 1 of first public declarations of universal human rights. although petition forgotten, idea every human has equal rights discussed in philadelphia quaker society on next century. slavery officially sanctioned philadelphia yearly meeting in 1776. following revolution, northern states abolished slavery, new jersey acting last in 1804, although of these laws merely reclassified slaves indentured servants maintaining slavery name. these state jurisdictions enacted first abolition laws in entire new world . 1808 states (except south carolina) had banned international buying or selling of slaves. acting on advice of president thomas jefferson, denounced international trade violations of human rights have been long continued on unoffending inhabitants of africa, in morality, reputation, , best interests of our country have long been eager proscribe in 1807 congress banned international slave trade. however, domestic slave trade continued.