<P> Although slavery steadily declined in Pennsylvania, the state that had initially led the way toward abolition tolerated it for decades after it ended in New England . The 1840 U.S. Census listed 47,854 (99.87%) of the state's Blacks as free, and 64 (0.13%) as enslaved . Legal slavery ended in Pennsylvania in 1847, when the several dozen remaining slaves (the youngest was 67) were freed . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (August 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (August 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> 1777: The Constitution of Vermont bans slavery . </Li> <Li> 1783: Massachusetts Supreme Court rules slavery illegal based on the 1780 Constitution of Massachusetts . Slavery ended in Massachusetts by the time of the census in 1790 . <Ul> <Li> Maine was part of Massachusetts in 1783 and entered the Union as a free state in 1820 . </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> 1783: New Hampshire Constitution contains a bill of rights that is interpreted as ending slavery . In 1857, a law was approved that formally prohibited slavery . </Li> <Li> 1784: Connecticut begins a gradual abolition of slavery . A law was approved in 1848 that freed any remaining slaves . </Li> <Li> 1784: Rhode Island begins a gradual abolition of slavery . </Li> <Li> 1791: Vermont enters the Union as a free state . </Li> <Li> 1799: New York State begins a gradual abolition of slavery . A law was approved in 1817 that freed all remaining slaves on July 4, 1827 . </Li> <Li> 1804: New Jersey begins a gradual abolition of slavery . </Li> </Ul>

Pennsylvania began a program of gradual emancipation by making a law that