Philadelphia Convention Issue: Slavery

Question 1

Why was slavery a major concern ?

Answer 1

The cruelty of the African slave trade and the contradictions between the statements about liberty made during the revolution and the existence of slavery

Question 2

What was the problem with the southern states and slavery ?

Answer 2

• 40% of North and South Carolina and Georgias population were slaves and their economies depended on slave Labour
• if slavery was abolished these states would not accept a new constitution

Question 3

Why couldn’t slavery be ignored ?

Answer 3

Decisions were being taken and made involving the population of the states
- were slaves part of the population of were they property

Question 4

What did the Northern states argue ?

Answer 4

Attacked it proposing a removal of slaves in account of population
- where they property or men if they were men then give them all rights to vote and if they were property why was no other property included

Question 5

How did Governor Morris describe slavery ?

Answer 5

A nefarious practice

Question 6

What was the compromise made ?

Answer 6

Slavery is not linked to the constitution instead ‘person held to service or Labour’
- population: slaves counted as 3/5s of a person
- slave trade to be abolished not until 1808 giving the south 20 more years
- it still made conflict inevitable