United States Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves 1807

E31458

The United States Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves of 1807 was a federal law that banned the transatlantic importation of enslaved people into the United States, marking a major legal step against the Atlantic slave trade.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal statute
abolition of the slave trade law
aimedTo end legal participation of the United States in the transatlantic slave trade
appliesTo United States ports
United States vessels
foreign vessels bringing enslaved people into the United States
constitutionalBasis Article I Section 9 Clause 1 of the United States Constitution
country United States of America
dateSigned 1807-03-02
doesNotAbolish domestic slave trade within the United States
slavery within the existing states
effectiveDate 1808-01-01
enactedBy United States Congress
enforcementBy United States customs officials
United States naval forces
followedBy later federal statutes strengthening enforcement against illegal slave trading
form statute
governs importation of persons for slavery into the United States by sea or land
historicalSignificance implemented the United States constitutional provision allowing Congress to ban the importation of slaves after 1808
marked a major legal step by the United States against the Atlantic slave trade
jurisdiction federal jurisdiction of the United States
language English
legalDomain United States federal law
United States slavery law
criminal law
maritime law
penaltyIncludes fines for persons knowingly participating in illegal importation of enslaved people
forfeiture of enslaved persons imported contrary to the act
forfeiture of ships involved in illegal slave importation
possible imprisonment for violations
precededBy earlier federal regulations on the slave trade
prohibits bringing into the United States any person to be held to service or labor as a slave from any foreign place
importation of enslaved persons into the United States from abroad
relatedTo British Slave Trade Act 1807
United States Constitution
United States laws against piracy and slave trading
abolitionist movement in the United States
shortName 1807 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves
Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves
signedBy Thomas Jefferson
signingOfficeholderRole President of the United States
subjectOf ban on transatlantic importation of enslaved people into the United States
timePeriod early 19th century
tookEffectOn first day of January 1808
topic Atlantic slave trade
abolitionism in the United States
slave trade prohibition
transatlantic slave trade

Referenced by (4)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
United States Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves 1807 ("Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves")
United States Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves 1807 ("1807 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves")
shortName
Atlantic slave trade
legalAbolition
Presidency of Thomas Jefferson ("Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves 1807")
legislativeAchievement

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