Congress Bans International Slave Trade

On March 2, 1807, Congress approved a bill to ban the importation of slaves into the United States. That act was poorly enforced. Slavery wasn't legally abolished until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution 58 years later. For more historical narratives on Slavery in America, see: Moments In Civil Rights History - First Enslaved Africans in America Moments In Civil Rights History - Law Allows "Owners" to Kill Slaves Moments In Civil Rights History - The Emancipation Proclamation Moments In Civil Rights History - Black Americans Not Citizens and Cannot Sue