In 1776, when America officially broke from Great Britain, slavery was legal in all 13 states. Four years later, Massachusetts adopted its state constitution which appeared to outlaw the practice for the first time anywhere in the United States. To end slavery, though, it took a series of court cases to determine the constitution's exact meaning. Two brave souls, who were afforded very little freedom to that point, tested the law and made sure it lived up to its lofty words.