First African American Novelist
Harriet E. Wilson, author of Our Nig, becomes the first African-American novelist published in the U.S.
White Workers in South Carolina Petition for Relief
White workers in South Carolina petition for relief against competition from slave and free black workers.
New Mexico Slave Code
New Mexico enacts a slave code.
Arizona Declares Free Blacks to be Slaves
Arizona declares that all free blacks in the territory will be considered slaves on the first day of the New Year.
Last Slave Ship Brings Slaves to Alabama
The last slave ship to bring slaves into the U.S. lands in Mobile Bay, Alabama.
John Brown Attempts Slave Revolt and is Executed
John Brown and 21 followers capture the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Va. (now West Virginia.), in an attempt to launch a slave revolt to free and arm slaves. His effort fails and he is executed.