I Have a Few Questions

[L Verge]

Thank you, Mark, for an excellent posting.

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The United States Constitution forbid the importation of slaves in 1808.

Northern states timeline of either banning slavery or beginning the abolition process:

1777: Constitution of the Vermont Republic bans slavery.
1783: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules slavery illegal based on 1780 state constitution. All slaves are immediately freed.
1783: New Hampshire begins a gradual abolition of slavery.
1784: Connecticut begins a gradual aboliton of slavery, freeing future children of slaves, and later all slaves.
1784: Rhode Island begins a gradual abolition of slavery.
The United States in Congress Assembled passed the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 outlawing any new slavery in the Northwest Territories.
1799: New York State passes gradual emancipation act freeing future children of slaves, and all slaves in 1827.
1804: New Jersey begins a gradual abolition of slavery, freeing future children of slaves. Those born prior to the Act remain enslaved for life.

Best
Rob

And three key words here are "begins," "gradual," and "new" (the latter in context of the Northwest Ordinance, which still allowed slavery to exist at the time of its passing).