On the road to freedom, one (gradual) step at a time Another
fascinating piece of history arrived at the Constitution Center
last week – Pennsylvania’s Act for the Gradual Abolition of
Slavery passed by the General Assembly on March 1, 1780. It is
on loan from the Pennsylvania State Archives and will be on
display in our core exhibition through July. There are several
reasons why the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery is a
remarkable document. First, a fun fact: It’s signed by Thomas
Paine of Common Sense fame, who was Clerk of the General
Assembly at the time. Paine also became a member of the
Pennsylvania Abolition Society, the country’s first anti-slavery
organization. More importantly, it is the first legislative act
that abolished slavery anywhere in the United States. (Another
fun fact: Vermont abolished slavery in its constitution when it
declared its independence from New Hampshire and New York in
1777, but it would be another 14 years before Vermont joined the
Union as our 14th state.) Inspired