Omar Bennett
The Constitution of the United States of America is often criticised for its protection of the institution of slavery. The document, which was meant to provide a system of checks and balances to prevent abuses of power, contained several provisions that protected slavery. It took a Civil War and constitutional amendments to eliminate slavery.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Three-fifths clause | Gave the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College |
| Article 1, Section 9 | Prohibits Congress from banning the importation of slaves until 1808 |
| Article 1, Section 2 | Enslaved black people in a state would be counted as three-fifths of the number of white inhabitants of that state |
| 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 three-fifths clause
The Constitution of the United States was written to protect the rights of white men, and its biggest flaw was its protection of the institution of slavery. There were several constitutional provisions that protected slavery. One of the most well-known is the three-fifths clause, 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.
Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution states that, for the purposes of representation in Congress, enslaved black people in a state would be counted as three-fifths of the number of white inhabitants of that state. This clause gave Southern states more power in Congress and reinforced the institution of slavery.
It took a Civil War and constitutional amendments to eliminate slavery. The 14th Amendment, adopted in 1868, added the assurance of equal protection.
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Article 1, Section 9
The Constitution’s biggest flaw was in protecting the institution of slavery. Many constitutional provisions did this, including Article 1, Section 9, which prohibited Congress from banning the importation of slaves until 1808. Article 5 prohibited this from being amended.
The Constitution created a system of checks and balances that were meant to prevent abuses of power and provide remedies when government officials act unconstitutionally. However, it took a Civil War and constitutional amendments to eliminate slavery.
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Article 5
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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Article 1, Section 2
The Constitution has been criticised for its protection of the institution of slavery. Article 1, Section 2, provides that, for purposes of representation in Congress, enslaved black people in a state would be counted as three-fifths of the number of white inhabitants of that state. This gave the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College.
The Constitution created a system of checks and balances that were meant to prevent abuses of power and provide remedies when government officials act unconstitutionally. However, it was not until after the Civil War and the adoption of the 14th Amendment in 1868 that equal protection was assured.
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Article 4, Section 2
The Constitution’s biggest flaw was in protecting the institution of slavery. Article 4, Section 2, contains the “fugitive slave clause,” which required that an escaped slave be returned to their owner. This was one of many constitutional provisions that protected slavery. Article 1, Section 9, prohibited Congress from banning the importation of slaves until 1808, and Article 5 prohibited this from being amended. Article 1, Section 2, provides that, for purposes of representation in Congress, enslaved black people in a state would be counted as three-fifths of the number of white inhabitants of that state. This gave the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College. Ultimately, it took a Civil War and constitutional amendments to eliminate slavery.
The Constitution created a system of checks and balances that were meant to prevent abuses of power and provide remedies when government officials act unconstitutionally. However, it was intentionally written in broad, open-textured language, leaving it to each generation to give meaning to these words. It is and was meant to be a living document.
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Frequently asked questions
There were several protections for slavery in the Constitution.
Article 1, Section 9, prohibited Congress from banning the importation of slaves until 1808, and Article 5 prohibited this from being amended. Article 1, Section 2, provided that, for purposes of representation in Congress, enslaved black people in a state would be counted as three-fifths of the number of white inhabitants of that state. Article 4, Section 2, contains the “fugitive slave clause,” which required that an escaped slave be returned to his or her owner.
For many, the Constitution's biggest flaw was its protection of the institution of slavery.
It took a Civil War and constitutional amendments to eliminate slavery.
The Constitution created a system of checks and balances that were meant to prevent abuses of power and provide remedies when government officials act unconstitutionally.
