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Mauritania was the last country to abolish slavery in 1981, although it wasn't criminalized until 2007.
Vermont was the first colony to abolish slavery in its state constitution in 1777. This made it the first state in North America to abolish slavery.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Graves Simcoe was Upper Canada's first Lieutenant Governor and founder of the City of York (now Toronto). Simcoe also made Upper Canada the first province in the British Empire to abolish slavery.
Slavery was gradually abolished in the border states during the Civil War. Kentucky abolished slavery in 1865 through a state constitutional amendment, while Maryland and Delaware also abolished slavery through state constitutions in 1864 and 1865, respectively. Missouri did not abolish slavery until January 1865 with a new state constitution.
Brazil was the last country in Latin America to abolish slavery. Slavery was officially abolished in Brazil on May 13, 1888, through the Lei Áurea (Golden Law) decree.