Dashed left edge = started before January 1808 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond January 1808
Events in January 1808 2
1808United States Bans Importation of SlavesFederal law prohibiting the Atlantic slave trade takes effectThe Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves, passed by Congress in 1807, took effect on January 1, 1808, making it illegal to bring enslaved people into the United States from abroad. The domestic slave trade within the country continued unaffected.
1808Opening of Brazilian Ports to Foreign TradePortugal's exiled royal court opens Brazil to world commercePrince Regent John, having fled Lisbon ahead of the French invasion, signed a decree in Bahia opening Brazilian ports to trade with friendly foreign nations. The move ended Portugal's colonial trade monopoly and marked a turning point in Brazil's economic development.