Vermont – Black History Fact Calendar When: February 27, 2017 @ 6:53 am – 11:53 pm 2017-02-27T06:53:00-05:00 2017-02-27T23:53:00-05:00 Vermont was the first U.S. territory, in 1777, to abolish slavery. Pennsylvania was the first state to do so, in 1780.