The Constitutional Convention of 1787

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the forces for and against slavery, the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the slave rebellions, the free black issues and the ACS, the abolitionists and the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments greatly affected the issue of slavery through the end of the Civil War and the Reconstruction era. It looks at how all of these actions eventually led to the abolishment of slavery and the creation of civil rights for the newly freed black slaves and how these events and actions will always stand out as a turning point in American history.

From the Paper:

"The issues and demographics surrounding slavery were greatly debated at the convention. The states of the deep south wanted it maintained; the North and the middle south was opposed. However, alliances between states kept some of the Northern states voting with the deep south, and any prohibition in new slave imports or import taxes were defeated (USConstition.net at http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_ccon.html). In exchange for a prohibition on export taxes, the South agreed to allowing the slave trade to continue for just 20 more years, and for imported slaves to be taxable. The Civil War, one of the most momentous events in American history, put constitutional government to its severest test as a long festering debate over the power of the federal government versus state rights reached a climax "

More papers on The Constitutional Convention of 1787 :

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• Research Paper # 10909 : "Institutional Slavery & the 1787 Constitutional Convention"

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