Stages of the Triangular Trade Route
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The slave system in our place, in a large measure, took the spirit of self reliance and self help out of the white slaves. The matter of having meals at regular hours, of eating on a tablecloth, using a napkin, the use of the bathtub, and the toothbrush, as well as the use of sheets upon the bed, were new to the slaves. The rugged nature of the country made slavery unprofitable, and time only increased the social, political and economic differences between the two sections of the state. One important variation, however, was a clause in the bill of rights providing for the abolition of slavery, Vermont being the first state in America to take such action.