Historical Moment: Slavery and the Constitution Essay Example

asset. Cotton production of the South fuelled the textile manufacturing industry of New England and Europe. On the other hand, the Northern states opposed slavery and were bent on social, political and economic equity. This resulted in the division of the states into free states and the slave states albeit there were intermarriages between the affluent Southerners and Northerners which strengthened business relations based on the cotton industry (David, 2001).

Unification and increased taxes to fund the government machinery meant constitutional concessions with the Southern states. A constitutional convention was held considering that the new government machinery proved to be ineffective in the collection of taxes and in the execution of laws (Constitutional Rights Foundation web site, n. d. ). A controversy involving representation in the legislative branch arose which culminated to an agreement of its having to be based on population.Those states which are largely populated demanded for a greater number of representatives while those with small population wanted the same manner contained in the Articles of Confederation.

The Southern states owned many slaves therefore by including them in the head count of the population would mean increasing the number of representation they would have in the legislature (Constitutional Rights Foundation web site, n. d. ). By increasing representation, these states necessarily would increase their power but consequently, they would be paying more taxes.This consequence was something the Southern states were later on amenable to bear.

Thus, finally the states agreed to have the representation in the House of Representatives as one based on population and the representation in the Senate as having two members per state (Constitutional Rights Foundation web site, n.d. ). This was later

known to be the Great Compromise or the Three-Fifths Compromise wherein the slaves were included as part of the population with an equivalency three fifths of slave population in apportioning representation (Digital History web site, 2008).This in effect, gave the South states extra votes and representation in the legislature. The slaves were referred to as persons.

Anent other constitutional concessions on slavery other than the Three-Fifths Compromise, a fugitive save clause was included as a result of the approval of Congress of the Northwest Ordinance which ensured the escapee slaves from being returned to their owners (Constitutional Rights Foundation web site, n. d. ).In exchange for the support of the New England states for this clause, they received trade concessions. This fugitive save clause is found in Article IV, Section 2 of the 1787 Constitution (Russell, 2007). Another instance of constitutional reference to slavery is the proscription of prohibiting slavery until the year 1800. A compromise was reached that the Congress can only be allowed the authority to ban slavery in 1808 which was extended by votes up to 1808 (Constitutional Rights Foundation web site, n. d.).