Although slavery was abolished in New York City in 1827, residents remained divided on the issue through the Civil War. NewsHour correspondent Gwen Ifill talks with historian James Horton about slavery's impact on New York.

The United States' Constitution is not a very detailed document. It lays out the basic structure of government, and the details are filled in with legislation, and clarified and reinforced by court decisions. One of the most...

Isabella Baumfree was born into slavery in late 18th century New York. Fleeing bondage with her youngest daughter, she renamed herself Sojourner Truth and embarked on a legendary speaking tour. She became known as an electrifying orator...

The Civil Rights Act of 1875 aimed to protect the rights of African Americans, but was struck down in 1883, paving the way for racial segregation across the South.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 gave the federal government new powers to capture and return escaped enslaved people, but its failures intensified divisions between Northern and Southern states.

The American Anti-Slavery Society was the country's first major national abolitionist organization. Founded in 1833, it raised awareness of the atrocities of slavery - but as time went on, factions emerged within the group.

This video explores the events leading up to the Civil War, focusing on the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and its role in heightening tensions between Northern and Southern states over slavery. Viewers will also learn about Nat Turner's...

Issued by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln almost three years into the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation played a crucial role in ending slavery across the United States and defining the principles that still govern the country today.

Dr. Forrester teaches about the injustices of slavery and denial of women’s right to vote. She introduces famous Americans who fought against these unfair practices.

In episode 37 of Supreme Court Briefs, a slave uprising on a ship called The Amistad leads it to the shores of the United States, where the Supreme Court eventually determines their fate.

Dr. Forrester reviews key events of the Civil War and discusses changes in the South resulting from the war.

Mr. Hughes throws it down on Sectionalism, breezing through the essential causes of the American Civil War beginning with the ratification of the Constitution and culminating with the election of Republican Abraham Lincoln

This video looks at the documents conceived in a period when the civil rights of women and Native Americans were in question, and slavery was driving a wedge between slaveholders and abolitionists. Educators from noted American...

National Expansion (1832-1848) American democracy has a lineage of written records that we can trace to show the development of our nation, and how each document builds on those before it to make our foundation of freedom stronger. In...

Nilgün Anadolu-Okur is an associate professor at Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts, and the director of African American Studies undergraduate program. Her publications include Dismantling Slavery: Frederick Douglass, William...

For many poor White families in the Antebellum South, slavery did not pay – so why did the ruling elite erase their narrative from the history books?

A slave uprising on a ship called The Amistad leads it to the shores of the United States, where the Supreme Court eventually determines their fate.

Lucy Stanton was an American abolitionist and feminist figure, notable for being the first African-American woman to complete a four-year course of a study at a college or university. She completed a Ladies Literary Course from Oberlin...

Charlotte Louise Bridges Forten Grimké, of Lotty as she was often called, was an abolotionist, a teacher, and a poet. She came from a family of anti-slavery activists. Learn about her life and her many accomplishments.

The life of Henry "Box" Brown is so notable because he was an Antebellum-Era Virginia plantation slave who managed to mailed himself to freedom in a wooden box. The big question here is: how did he do it? Easy! He had the help of...

A group of activists risk their lives to free enslaved fishermen working for Thai fishing companies in Indonesia.

Researchers in St. Catharines, Ont., are working to unearth the lost gravestones of people who fled slavery in the U.S. 100 years ago. CBC’s Nick Purdon visits the project site and learns that keeping the stories of freedom seekers alive...