What Was The First And Last State To Abolish Slavery

Let’s talk about a race to the finish line. Not a marathon. A moral one. It’s the wild story of slavery’s end in the United States.

We all know the big moment: the Emancipation Proclamation. But that was just the first shot in a messy, legal wrestling match. The real question is: who got there first, and who dragged their feet like a kid avoiding bath time?

The First State: A Quirky Head Start

The very first state to abolish slavery was Vermont. Yes, the land of maple syrup and snow. They did it all the way back in 1777.

Here’s the funny part: Vermont wasn’t even a state yet. It was a republic—a tiny, independent nation with its own constitution. They wrote into their new laws that no adult man could be held as a slave. Talk about bold for a place that was basically a rebellious patch of forest.

Who was the hero behind this? A guy named Thomas Chittenden. He was Vermont’s first governor. He didn’t own slaves himself, but he wasn’t exactly an abolitionist saint. He just wanted a clean break from British rule. Slavery was messy. He chose simple.

Other states took forever to catch up. Massachusetts followed in 1783 with a court case that silently ended slavery. But Vermont? It was the loud, proud, maple-covered winner.

The Last State: A Stubborn Surprise

Now, the last state. You might guess Alabama. Or Georgia. Nope. It’s Mississippi. But wait—there’s a twist that feels like a bad sitcom plot.

The official last state to ratify the 13th Amendment (which banned slavery nationwide) was Mississippi. They did it in 1995. Yes, you read that right: 1995.

Was The United States The Last Country To Abolish Slavery? – QFZQ

Here’s the kicker: they forgot. The 13th Amendment was already the law since 1865. But Mississippi’s legislators never formally voted to accept it. They just… didn’t get around to it. For 130 years. That’s a lot of procrastination.

The story gets funnier. In 1995, a state employee named Ranjan Batra watched the movie Lincoln. He got curious about the 13th Amendment. He dug into the records. Guess what he found? Mississippi had never officially ratified it.

So, in 2013, they finally held a vote. And in 2013, they officially abolished slavery. The last state to do it wasn’t a rebel holdout. It was a clerical error. A bureaucratic oopsie.

The Weird In-Betweens

What about states that were sort of first? Kentucky and Delaware were slave states that stayed in the Union. They didn’t abolish slavery until the 13th Amendment forced their hand in 1865. Delaware actually rejected the amendment at first. They finally ratified it in 1901. Late, but not as late as Mississippi.

And don’t forget New Jersey. They were the last Northern state to abolish slavery—in 1804. But it was a gradual abolition. Children born to enslaved mothers had to serve until age 25. Some people were still enslaved in New Jersey until the Civil War. So, “first” and “last” are trickier than they look.

What States Abolished Slavery? – PXHVJD

Fun fact: Rhode Island was the first state to actually outlaw the slave trade in 1774. But they didn’t free the people they already owned. Baby steps.

Why This Is Fun to Talk About

This isn’t just history. It’s a treasure hunt. You have to follow the paper trails, the forgotten votes, and the happy accidents. Vermont was a scrappy rebel. Mississippi was a forgetful bureaucrat. The 13th Amendment? It’s the legal equivalent of a final boss.

Think about it: the first state to end slavery was a tiny, snow-covered republic. The last state was a place that just couldn’t find the paperwork. History is full of weird little dramas.

Next time you’re in Vermont, raise a glass of maple syrup to Thomas Chittenden. Next time you’re in Mississippi, just shake your head and laugh. They got there eventually.

The Takeaway

Slavery ended in America through a patchwork of state laws, court cases, and one very delayed vote. Vermont was the champion. Mississippi was the champion of procrastination. Both are part of the same strange, messy story.

So, what’s the moral? Sometimes the first mover isn’t the loudest. And sometimes the last mover just needs to watch a movie. History is weird. That’s what makes it fun.