Eleanor Finch
The Constitution protected the interests of slaveholders in several ways. The document contained several proslavery clauses, including the Apportionment Clause, which counted three-fifths of a state's slave population in apportioning representation. This gave the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College. The Constitution also prohibited Congress from outlawing the Atlantic slave trade for twenty years and included a fugitive slave clause requiring the return of runaway slaves to their owners.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Political representation for slave owners and slave states was increased | The Apportionment Clause, Article I, Section 2, added three-fifths of "all other Persons" (slaves) to the number of free inhabitants of a state for purposes of representation |
| Congressional power to regulate the international slave trade was limited | Article I, Section 9, prohibited Congress from regulating the international slave trade until 1808, 21 years after ratification of the Constitution |
| Slave owners' rights to recapture their escaped slaves were protected | Article 4, Section 2, contains the "fugitive slave clause", which required that an escaped slave be returned to his or her owner |
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What You'll Learn
- The Apportionment Clause, Article I, Section 2, counted slaves as three-fifths of a person, increasing political representation for slave owners
- The Constitution protected the rights of slave owners to recapture their escaped slaves
- Article I, Section 9, prohibited Congress from regulating the international slave trade until 1808
- The Constitution's text contains several proslavery clauses
- The Three-Fifths Compromise gave the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College
The Apportionment Clause, Article I, Section 2, counted slaves as three-fifths of a person, increasing political representation for slave owners
The Constitution protected the interests of slaveholders in several ways. Firstly, it increased political representation for slave owners and slave states. Secondly, it limited congressional power to regulate the international slave trade for 21 years. Thirdly, it protected the rights of slave owners to recapture their escaped slaves.
The Apportionment Clause, Article I, Section 2, is a key example of how the Constitution protected the interests of slaveholders. This clause added three-fifths of "all other Persons" (i.e. slaves) to the number of free inhabitants of a state for purposes of representation. This meant that the number of representatives in Congress for the slave states was boosted, guaranteeing political protection for slavery. The same three-fifths ratio also applied to the representation of slave states in the Electoral College during presidential elections.
The Apportionment Clause had a significant impact on political representation in the United States. By counting slaves as three-fifths of a person, it gave the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College. For example, Thomas Jefferson would have lost the election of 1800 if not for the Three-fifths Compromise.
The Constitution's protection of slavery was not limited to the Apportionment Clause. Article 1, Section 9, prohibited Congress from banning the importation of slaves until 1808, and Article 5 prohibited this from being amended. Article 4, Section 2, contained the "fugitive slave clause", which required that an escaped slave be returned to their owner.
The Constitution's protection of slavery has been described as its "biggest flaw". It took a Civil War and constitutional amendments to eliminate slavery.
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The Constitution protected the rights of slave owners to recapture their escaped slaves
The Constitution's text contains several proslavery clauses, including the Apportionment Clause, which added three-fifths of "all other Persons" (i.e. slaves) to the number of free inhabitants of a state for purposes of representation. This clause guaranteed political protection for slavery by boosting the number of representatives in Congress for the slave states. The same three-fifths ratio applied to the representation of slave states in the Electoral College during presidential elections.
The slave import limitation prohibited Congress from regulating the international slave trade until 1808, 21 years after the ratification of the Constitution. This allowed the unregulated flow of slaves through the international slave trade for over two decades.
The Constitution's protection of slavery is considered by many to be its biggest flaw. It took a Civil War and constitutional amendments to eliminate slavery.
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Article I, Section 9, prohibited Congress from regulating the international slave trade until 1808
The Constitution also contained a fugitive slave clause, which required that an escaped slave be returned to their owner. The Constitution's protection of slavery was its "biggest flaw", according to Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky.
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The Constitution's text contains several proslavery clauses
The Constitution’s text contains several proslavery clauses. The Apportionment Clause, Article I, Section 2, added three-fifths of "all other Persons" ‒ slaves ‒ to the number of free inhabitants of a state for purposes of representation. This clause, by boosting the number of representatives in Congress for the slave states, guaranteed political protection for slavery. The same three-fifths ratio boosted the representation of slave states in the Electoral College during presidential elections. The Constitution also contained a fugitive slave clause, which required that an escaped slave be returned to their owner.
Article I, Section 9, prohibited Congress from regulating the international slave trade until 1808, 21 years after ratification of the Constitution. This meant that the flow of slaves through the international slave trade remained unregulated for 21 years.
The Constitution thus protected slavery by increasing political representation for slave owners and slave states, and by protecting the rights of slave owners to recapture their escaped slaves. It also promoted slave ownership by promising increased political representation.
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The Three-Fifths Compromise gave the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College
The Constitution protected the interests of slaveholders in several ways. Firstly, it increased political representation for slave owners and slave states. This was achieved through the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted three-fifths of a state's slave population when apportioning representation. This gave the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College. For example, Thomas Jefferson would have lost the election of 1800 if not for the Three-Fifths Compromise.
Secondly, the Constitution limited congressional power to regulate the international slave trade. Article I, Section 9, prohibited Congress from regulating the international slave trade until 1808, 21 years after the ratification of the Constitution.
Thirdly, the Constitution protected the rights of slave owners to recapture their escaped slaves. Article 4, Section 2, contains the "fugitive slave clause", which required that an escaped slave be returned to their owner.
The Constitution's text contains several proslavery clauses, such as the Apportionment Clause, which added three-fifths of "all other Persons" (i.e. slaves) to the number of free inhabitants of a state for purposes of representation. This clause guaranteed political protection for slavery by boosting the number of representatives in Congress for the slave states. The same three-fifths ratio boosted the representation of slave states in the Electoral College during presidential elections.
Overall, the Constitution's protection of slavery was its "biggest flaw", and it took a Civil War and constitutional amendments to eliminate slavery.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution protected the interests of slaveholders by increasing political representation for slave owners and slave states, by limiting congressional power to regulate the international slave trade, and by protecting the rights of slave owners to recapture their escaped slaves.
The Apportionment Clause, Article I, Section 2, added three-fifths of "all other Persons" (i.e. slaves) to the number of free inhabitants of a state for purposes of representation. This gave the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College.
Article 4, Section 2, contains the "fugitive slave clause", which required that an escaped slave be returned to their owner.
