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Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided - General Article: The Battle for Abolition

Some Americans had opposed slavery since colonial times. In 1777, Vermont was the first U.S. territory to ban slavery, and the state of Pennsylvania followed suit in 1780. Abolitionists put forward a wide range of approaches to end slavery, from moral persuasion to boycotts to the endorsement of violent rebellion. Explore profiles of three of the movement's prominent activists -- William Lloyd Garrison, James Gillespie Birney, and Frederick Douglass -- with this article from American Experience: "Abraham and Mary Lincoln - A House Divided."