James Madison's Stance On Slavery In The Constitution

James Madison, a Virginian who owned slaves, had a long public career that included a leading role in the federal Constitutional Convention of 1787 and two terms as president of the United States (1809–1817). Madison's record on the issue of slavery was mixed. He opposed the African slave trade throughout his career, but defended the westward expansion of slavery late in life. Madison believed that the spread of slavery would not lead to more slaves but would rather improve their condition and accelerate emancipation. He also proposed that apportionment in the House of Representatives be according to each state's free and enslaved population, leading to the Three-fifths Compromise. While Madison supported legislation allowing slave owners to free their workers without the approval of state or local authorities, he never liberated his own slaves and, in fact, sold several of them to make ends meet during financial difficulties in the 1830s.

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Madison's views on the slave trade

James Madison, a Virginian who owned slaves, had a mixed record on the issue of slavery. While he opposed the slave trade and even supported legislation that allowed slaveholders to free their workers without state approval, he never freed his own slaves. In 1787, Madison argued at the Constitutional Convention that the slave trade was dishonorable to the National character. He also contended that slaves should not be taxed as it would imply that they were property. Madison and other delegates avoided explicit references to slavery in the Constitution. Instead, they included a $10 tax on imported slaves, referring to them as "such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit".

Madison believed that the spread of slavery over a larger area would reduce the concentration of enslaved people in any one state and expedite emancipation. He supported the extension of slavery into the West during the Missouri crisis of 1819–1821, claiming that it would not lead to more slaves but rather improve their condition and accelerate emancipation. In 1829, Madison participated in a Virginia constitutional convention to decide if non-property-holding citizens should be able to vote. He argued that African Americans, both enslaved and free, should be part of the count for Virginia's House of Delegates, recognising them as "human beings, and not as mere property".

However, Madison's strongest anti-slavery views were expressed in the 1780s, during the height of Revolutionary politics. When in a position to impact policy in the early 1800s, he failed to act on these views. He supported the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions in the 1790s, which opposed Hamilton's centralising policies and the Alien and Sedition Acts. Madison also embraced the idea of freed slaves establishing colonies in Africa and later served as the president of the American Colonization Society, which relocated former slaves to Liberia. He believed that this could eventually lead to peaceful coexistence between races.

Despite his anti-slavery sentiments, Madison's actions were often influenced by financial strain and the political realities of his time. He remained dependent on enslaved labour for income and, in the 1830s, sold several of his slaves to make financial ends meet. While Madison recognised the evils of slavery, he prioritised the Union over the eradication of slavery, fearing that it could split the nation.

Madison's actions as a slave owner

James Madison was born into a plantation society that relied entirely on slave labour, with both sides of his family having made their fortunes in tobacco farming. Madison's father, James Madison Sr., was at one time the richest landowner in the county and owned the largest number of enslaved labourers. Madison Sr. passed down his views on slavery to his son, and Madison himself expressed reservations about human bondage in his earliest correspondence.

In 1771, Madison graduated from Princeton and returned to Montpelier, where he became involved in local politics, employing his intellect and education to support the Revolutionary cause. Madison's relationship with Sawney, his childhood attendant and one of his father's overseers, hints at the high level of trust the Madison family placed in the enslaved man. Sawney lived in an overseer's cabin, harvested his own tobacco, and was allowed to buy special 'English' shoes. In 1783, Madison brought a 24-year-old slave named Billey to attend to him at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Madison decided to leave Billey in the north, writing to his father that Billey's mind was "too thoroughly tainted to be a fit companion for fellow slaves in Virginia."

Madison's antislavery thinking was strongest during the 1780s, at the height of Revolutionary politics. In 1785, he confided to his friend Edmund Randolph his wish "to depend as little as possible on the labour of slaves." However, he remained dependent on the enslaved labourers of Montpelier for the majority of his income. By 1787, Madison's desire for a stronger federal constitution overshadowed his discomfort with slavery. At the Constitutional Convention that year, Madison argued against the slave trade and the taxation of slaves, stating that it would be "wrong to admit in the Constitution the idea that there could be property in men." He and the other delegates avoided making explicit references to slavery in the text of the Constitution.

In 1801, Madison inherited Montpelier and over 100 slaves from his father. Despite his antislavery views, Madison never liberated his own enslaved workers. He supported legislation allowing slaveowners to free their workers without state approval but failed to act on his beliefs as President of the United States, continuing to criticise slavery without taking decisive action. Madison embraced the theory of diffusion, arguing that spreading slavery over a larger area would reduce the concentration of enslaved labour and expedite emancipation. He also supported the extension of slavery into the West during the Missouri crisis of 1819-1821, believing that it would improve the condition of slaves and accelerate emancipation.

In 1829, Madison participated in the Virginia Constitutional Convention, arguing that African Americans, both enslaved and free, should be considered as much as possible "in the light of human beings, and not as mere property." However, when facing financial strain in the 1830s, Madison sold several of his slaves, a decision he described as "yielding to necessity." Madison freed none of his slaves in his will, but he requested that his widow, Dolley Madison, not sell enslaved people without their consent. Some evidence suggests that Madison expected his wife to free Montpelier's enslaved population at her death, but under financial pressure, she sold some and kept the rest in bondage.

Madison's views on racial co-existence

James Madison, a Virginian who owned slaves, had a mixed record on the issue of slavery. While he opposed the African slave trade throughout his career, he defended the westward expansion of slavery late in life. He never put forward a realistic plan to eradicate the institution of slavery, and he failed to liberate his own slaves.

Madison believed that blacks and whites were unlikely to co-exist peacefully due to "the prejudices of the whites" and feelings on both sides "inspired by their former relation as oppressors and oppressed." As such, he became interested in the idea of freed slaves establishing colonies in Africa, and he served as the president of the American Colonization Society, which relocated former slaves to Liberia. Madison believed that this solution offered a gradual, long-term, but potentially feasible means of eradicating slavery in the United States, and that peaceful co-existence between the two racial groups could eventually be achieved in the long run.

Madison supported legislation allowing slaveholders to free their workers without the approval of state or local authorities. He also proposed that apportionment in the House of Representatives be according to each state's free and enslaved population, leading to the adoption of the Three-fifths Compromise. Madison argued that the spread of slavery would not lead to more slaves but would rather diminish their numbers by dispersing them, thus improving their condition, accelerating emancipation, easing racial tensions, and increasing "partial manumissions."

During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Madison argued that the slave trade was "dishonorable to the National character." He contended that slaves should not be taxed because it would be wrong to admit in the Constitution the idea that there could be property in men. He believed that slaves were not like merchandize and were not consumed, and thus could not be held as property. Madison and the other delegates avoided making any explicit reference to slavery in the text of the Constitution.

In 1829, Madison participated in a Virginia constitutional convention to decide if non-property-holding citizens should be able to vote. He argued that African Americans, both enslaved and free, should be part of the count for Virginia's House of Delegates. He stated that they should be considered "as much as possible, in the light of human beings, and not as mere property." However, when facing financial strain in the 1830s, Madison sold several of his slaves to make ends meet, a decision he described as "yielding to necessity."

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Madison's support for westward expansion of slavery

James Madison, a Virginian who owned slaves, had a long and complicated history with slavery. He took part in the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where he argued against the slave trade, stating that it was "dishonorable to the National character". He also opposed the idea of slaves being taxed, as it would imply that they were property. However, Madison's anti-slavery views did not always translate into policy changes during his political career.

Madison supported the westward expansion of slavery during the Missouri crisis of 1819–1821. He argued that spreading slavery over a larger area would reduce the concentration of enslaved people in any one state and expedite emancipation. He believed that this would improve the condition of slaves, accelerate their emancipation, ease racial tensions, and increase "partial manumissions". Madison saw slaves as "wayward (but still educable) students in need of regular guidance".

In 1829, Madison participated in a Virginia constitutional convention to decide whether non-property-holding citizens should be able to vote. He argued that African Americans, both enslaved and free, should be considered as much as possible "in the light of human beings and not as mere property". However, when facing financial strain in the 1830s, Madison sold several of his slaves, a decision he described as "yielding to necessity".

Madison also supported the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which admitted Missouri as a slave state alongside Maine, a free state. While he had qualms about the deal, he kept them largely private. Madison's support for the westward expansion of slavery and his defence of states' rights in retirement suggest a complex and evolving relationship with the issue.

Madison's views on the Constitution's slave trade clause

James Madison, a Virginian who owned slaves, had a mixed record on the issue of slavery. He took a leading role in drafting the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. Madison and the other delegates avoided making any explicit reference to slavery in the text of the Constitution. While Madison opposed the African slave trade throughout his career, he defended the westward expansion of slavery late in life.

Madison believed that the Constitution's slave trade clause was not meant to empower Congress to regulate slavery internally or discriminate against new states regarding slavery. He denied that the Confederation Congress had the authority to outlaw slavery in the Northwest Territory, arguing that they did so only to discourage the African slave trade. Madison embraced the theory of diffusion, which suggested that spreading slavery over a larger area would reduce the concentration of enslaved labour in any one state and eventually lead to emancipation.

Madison opposed the Constitution's 20-year protection of the foreign slave trade, but he accepted it as a compromise to gain the South's ratification. He supported legislation allowing slaveowners to free their workers without state approval but never freed his own slaves. Madison argued that slaves should not be taxed as property because they were "not like merchandise" and should be considered, as much as possible, in the light of human beings".

Madison's strongest anti-slavery views were in the 1780s during the Revolutionary politics. However, when in a position to impact policy in the early 1800s, he did not act on these beliefs. He supported the extension of slavery into the West during the Missouri crisis of 1819–1821, believing it would improve slaves' conditions and accelerate emancipation. Madison's views on slavery were complex, reflecting the political and economic realities of his time.

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