US Constitution

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Christie Brothers Civil War Introductory US Constitution US Constitution Paper The Constitution, as ratified and amended by the first ten amendments, was neither a pro-slavery or anti-slavery document. The wording in the original document was vague and left the meanings open to interpretation. The Constitution was written as not to alienate delegates from the North or the South. The Constitution did legally protect and promote the institution of slavery because it was written to allow slavery to still exist for the next twenty years. The first piece of evidence lies in Article 1, the 3/5 clause, though it never mentions slavery, where it gave slave holding states more political power with each slave that was added to a master’s estate.…show more content…
The clause allowed owners to go before a judge and provide proof of ownership, whereby, the owner then received a certificate to return to the estate with the slave. There was a penalty of five hundred dollars if anyone tried to obstruct the owner from retaking the slave or if one tried to conceal the slave. The North became upset with the clause because Northerners felt free blacks would be kidnapped and be taken to a slave holding state where the free black would be forced into slavery. The Fugitive Slave Clause was viewed to be a compromise between the free and slave holding states. The US Constitution can be viewed as an anti-slavery document too. Many of the framers wished to abolish slavery. The decision to allow slavery to continue was postponed for twenty years after the ratification of the Constitution. The migration or importation of blacks from States was banned after 1808. The writers felt if they argued over the issue of slavery when drafting the document, it would divide the Union when it was weak and could fall…show more content…
Articles to satisfy the North’s desire for the end of slavery were written as to appease the South’s need for it. There were provisions made for the continuation of slavery or else the delegates from the South would not accept the Constitution as there were provisions made for the North so not the alienate those opposing slavery. The document was written in vague enough terms to leave it open for debate later on issues that could not be satisfactorily resolved at the initial drafting. Agreements was reached to later draft and ratify a bill of rights for the people of nation by the federal government that was uniform throughout the county instead of relying on each individual state’s bill of rights. The framers then proceeded to distribute the draft of the Constitution to the states will all accepting the document. The way the Constitution was written left certain articles and sections open to interpretation. There are arguments on both sides whether the document is pro or anti-slavery. The Bill of Rights did not explicitly spell out a position on slavery either but more individual rights of voting citizens and the division of power between the branches of government. The Bill of Rights and the US Constitution had no mention of slavery and were purposely written in such a manner as to appease both the North and South and keep a fragile nation from
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