1860 - The Decline of Slavery

Some slaves are granted their freedom, called manumission, from their owners. Local laws give newly freed blacks 90 days to leave the area. Some travel east to the coastal cities and look for work. Others move west, hoping to find land and opportunity. The number of free blacks is increasing faster than the number of slaves. Lawmakers worry that free blacks are encouraging slaves to run away from their owners, so a law is passed prohibiting free blacks from entering North Carolina from other states.Pamphlet on Slavery