Slavery was the headache of the South
When discussions are made about slavery, the American north is often viewed as the ray of hope for the enslaved. However, the northern states were actively involved in slavery. According to writer Dustin Koski, almost all the ships that brought slaves through the infamous Triangle Trade originally set sail in New England even after it was banned in that region. New England is the oldest clearly defined region of the U.S., and it predates the American Revolution by more than 150 years. The northern states also allowed slavery much later than people would admit. For instance, in Pennsylvania, there were still hundreds of black slaves in 1850 even though it had been banned under state law in 1780 because the system allowed them to remain slaves until their 28th birthday, Koski adds.
