Constitutional Convention: Should Slavery Be Abolished?

Framers had a heated debate arouse the slavery issue about would the slavery be permitted or prohibited in the Constitution. After a close look at the Constitution, it points out that the slavery issue was neither legitimized nor forbidden. The fact that using other words replaced slaves, the three-fifths compromise and importation of slaves all indicated the obscure attitude of the framers treated to slavery issue and they were more likely to not accept the slavery.

Slaves in the colonies during the revolution were faced with no real options and little liberty. The slaves’ lot in life varied greatly between individual experiences. Those slave owners who had only a few slaves generally treated their slaves better than those with large numbers of slaves. Even if they were treated well, the slaves had little in the way of freedom. They would be required to work throughout the day at the bidding of their masters and had no recourse to whatever punishment was given at their master’s hands. The slaves also had little hope of ever obtaining freedom for themselves and their children (Pavao, n.d.).

One effect on the issue was that the economy in the south was fueled by cultivation of staple crops that required slaves for labor. In the South slavery wasn’t thought as an evil as in the North because to the Southerners defense the slaves in their opinion were treaty in contrast to workers in England and peasants that were Irish, also the end of slave trade brought higher value to the slaves causing their owners to be less harsh because they were more valuable. Although slavery fueled the economy in the South it was not the same in the North therefore there was no complete dire need for slavery, and although the slaves probably weren’t treated as bad as the north had thought they still saw it as

During the Antebellum period, with the emergence of the Second Great Awakening provoked lots of political and social reforms such as abolitionism and changes within the religion of Christianity. However, despite having all of these changes, the creation of the cotton gin was absolutely on of the more significant one because it created a more efficient way to produce cotton, thus needing more labor to operate such machinery. Therefore, whilst the antebellum period is occurring it caused a split of the North and the South for the sole reason of moral standing on the subject of slavery. The pro- slavery argument derived from the position on economic and political and social unity, however, the anti- slavery arguments were positioned on a religious and ethical standing. Furthermore, these arguments would result in women becoming more involved in politics by opposing the inequality of the rights given to them by man, and the split of Christianity in two section, one of the southern countrymen and the other of non- slave owning people by classifying southern countrymen as hypocritical to their religious beliefs.

Slavery was held out until 1865, but during this time period abolitionist are trying to do anything to stop slavery. The reason being is because slavery wasn’t slavery anymore. Slavery was beginning to become more advance due to technological innovation. The Abolitionist are people that were against slavery and would boycott anything to get rid of slavery. The argument that the Abolitionist had during this time period was its conditions as violating Christian’s principals and rights to equality. The abolishment of slavery was a significant change in the history of slavery, because of all the technological innovation that was making the slaves jobs easier. In the American Revolution war slavery played a role in which they began a sequence of abolishing slavery. Slavery played a role in the American revolutionary war to begin to grant themselves freedom, liberty, and rights. Slavery changed in 1808 due to a bill that abolished the slave trade. The westward expansion divided the nation because the north and the south weren’t coming into agreement of change going on in the United States. The abolitionist had a plan and that plan was to abolish all slavery throughout the whole United States. These are some of the main things that would lead to the abolishment of 1865.

2. The development of a national railroad system was hampered by which of the following?

Good evening to everyone in attendance, today I intend to persuade you that the modern day struggles you may endure do not equate to the struggles of an African-American slave like myself during the American Revolutionary period. In the 1770’s, the colonies’ relationship with British monarchy became rotten after an abuse of power and resulted in the American Revolutionary War. I saw the war as a beacon of hope and an opportunity at freedom; unfortunately, while the colonists won, and though the founding fathers of this country advocated in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal”, my status as a slave never changed. Although the American Revolution was able to reform much of the corrupt tyranny the British placed in North America, America’s newly founded government

As the need for more crops and other products increased, the production in the North also increased, but the South could not do so without slaves. The slaves in the South were essential to their economy. Almost all of the individuals that could afford slaves, owned them. However, in the northern states, slavery was not as apparent because the political leaders thought it was morally wrong and felt as though the slaves would take away jobs from the whites. Also, with all of the factories and inventions that the North had that the South did not have, the North was far more successful in their levels of production, without the aid of slaves. Throughout history, the differences of opinions over whether slavery should be allowed or abolished in the Unite States has brought many debates and controversies which eventually led to wars. There were many causes that led to the Civil War, and many of them led were started over disputes over free or slave states in the South.

Abolishment of Slavery Slavery was caused by economic factors of the English settlers in the late 17th century. Colonists continually tried to allure laborers to the colony. The head right system was to give the indentured servant, a method of becoming independent after a number of years of service. Slavery was caused by economic reasons. Colonists chiefly relied on Indentured Servitude, in order to facilitate their need for labor. The decreasing population combined with a need for a labor force, led colonists to believe that African slaves were the most efficient way to acquire a labor force that would satisfy their needs. Slaves were people who were taken from their homeland in Africa and brought to America, to serve as servants on

I think that the writers of the Constitution should have compromised on slavery. After the compromise, the slaves think that they are important and this thinking will keep them working harder. not only that but it also helps them keep their hope up. If they had not compromised then there would not be a Constitution, but a war might start between the two. If I were at the Constitutional Convention I would vote for every slavery have their own vote because they are human. Not only that their thinking might able to help the country economic to

Thomas Jefferson said “ [b]igotry is a disease of ignorance, or morbid minds… Education and free discussion are the antidotes of both” (Jefferson). He grew up on a plantation where his family kept slaves, but later took steps to opposing slavery while being in a position of power. This quote was when Thomas Jefferson had talked about how people who think lower of another race or culture, can have his/her views changed without violence or a war. Violence was not necessary to end slavery because many pieces of literature brought light to issues without violence, Lincoln did not believe the war was meant to end slavery, and aggressive actions from the South started the Civil War.

Our country is based upon our constitution which is full of freedoms it also was created as a form of institutional racism. The biggest contradiction in the US Constitution is that it offers freedom, yet it allows for slavery. At the constitutional convention slavery was not discussed because so many supported it. There were though some compromising that had to be done about the issue of slavery. The most well-known is the three-fifths compromise, which allowed slaves to be counted as three-fifths of a person for the census. This affected the number of representatives in slave-states had as well as their votes in the Electoral College (Walton and Smith pg.11-12). Article 4 Section 2 of the Constitution states that fugitive slaves must be

“The fact is, that civilization requires slaves. The Greeks were quite right there. Unless there are slaves to do the ugly, horrible, uninteresting work, culture and contemplation become almost impossible.” - OSCAR WILDE, The Soul of Man Under Socialism

Without a doubt, the controversy of supporting or expelling slavery was immense. During the nineteenth century, individuals attempted to justify the reason for continuing the act of slavery, and others spoke up for the abolishment of slavery. Throughout the passages in The Voices, slavery has been a prominent topic. Through the duration of time, individuals have become more likely to voice their opinions upon the existence of slavery.

In 1688 the first American movement was the one to abolish slavery when the German and Quakers decent in Pennsylvania. The Quakers establishment had no immediate action for the Quaker Petition against slavery. The first American abolition society was the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully by the Quakers that had strong religious objections of slavery. In 1756 John Woolman gave up his business to campaign against slavery along with other Quakers. Thomas Paine was the first to write an article about the United States abolition of slavery and it was titled “African Slavery in America”.