Abolition of Slavery
Although freed men and women were not considered slaves anymore, they did not have equal rights. Responding to hostility from whites, freed men and women organized separate black congregations in the 1780s and 1790s. To build a more "free" society for themselves, freed slaves formed mutual benefit societies that facilitated community involvement. Congress officially banned the importation of slaves on January 1st, 1808. Though, those who were already slaves still remained as slaves.