Chapter 12: By 1820, Slavery Disappears in the North

Lincoln’s childhood corresponds with the gradual disappearance of slavery in the North.

This traces to the end of the so-called Triangular Trade between America, England and Africa. Once the Black population along the west coast of Africa is depleted, the costs and risks of sending slave ships there becomes untenable.

The 1820 Census reports that slavery has ended in all but the northern states of New York and New Jersey. Still, real liberty and equality eludes the freedmen of the North. Instead they are segregated into enclaves often called “Darktowns” or “Shantytowns,” and are subject to a series of “Black Codes” designed to constrain their actions and assuage the safety fears of the white population.