Eleanor Finch
The United States Constitution was drafted in 1787 and established the government of the United States. Notably, the word slave does not appear in the Constitution, and the document even protected slavery in several ways, including the Three-Fifths Compromise and a fugitive slave clause. However, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1865, officially abolished slavery in the United States and its territories, declaring that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude... shall exist within the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of abolition of slavery in the US | 1865 |
| Date of passing of the 13th Amendment | 31 January 1865 |
| Date of ratification of the 13th Amendment | 6 December 1865 |
| President during the ratification of the 13th Amendment | Abraham Lincoln |
| Number of states that ratified the 13th Amendment | 27 out of 33 |
| Date of certification of the 13th Amendment | 18 December 1865 |
| Number of Reconstruction Amendments | 3 |
| Year slavery was abolished in Haiti | 1804 |
| Year slavery was abolished in the British Empire | 1834 |
| Year slavery was abolished in France | 1848 |
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What You'll Learn
- The US Constitution was written and signed in 1787
- It is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force
- The document was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention
- The Constitution established the government of the United States
- It is a source of freedom and inspiration for the world
The US Constitution was written and signed in 1787
The US Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution still in force in the world. It is comprised of several articles that embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. While the Constitution is a revered document, it has been criticised for its failure to address and outlaw slavery.
The word "slave" is notably absent from the Constitution, as the framers consciously avoided using it. Instead, the Constitution included protections for slavery, such as 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 additional 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.
The framers of the Constitution believed that concessions on slavery were necessary to gain the support of southern delegates for a strong central government. However, this compromise laid the seeds for future conflict, as the issue of slavery divided the nation into two opposing directions, with the North gradually abolishing slavery and the South continuing to practice it. It was not until the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, passed in 1865 after the Civil War, that slavery and involuntary servitude were officially abolished, except as punishment for a crime.
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It is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force
The United States Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force. Drafted in 1787, it was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788, after nine of the 13 original states signed. It is considered the oldest constitution because not all of the Constitution of San Marino, which was written in 1600, is codified.
The US Constitution was the first permanent constitution of its kind and has influenced the constitutions of several other countries. It established the government of the United States, outlining a framework for governing the country. The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.
The Constitution's establishment of a strong central government laid the foundation for the eventual abolition of slavery. However, it did not initially outlaw slavery everywhere. In fact, it included the notorious three-fifths clause, which counted three-fifths of a state's slave population when apportioning representation, giving the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College. It also prohibited Congress from outlawing the Atlantic slave trade for 20 years and included a fugitive slave clause requiring the return of runaway slaves to their owners.
It was not until January 11, 1864, during the American Civil War, that Senator John B. Henderson of Missouri submitted a joint resolution for a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment, passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It was ratified on December 6, 1865, and proclaimed on December 18, 1865.
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The document was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention
The United States Constitution was drafted during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. The document was drafted in secret by the 55 delegates of the convention, one of whom, Gouverneur Morris, a delegate from New York, wrote the preamble.
The issue of slavery was one of the most contentious issues faced by the delegates. Of the 55 delegates, about 25 owned slaves, and many of the framers had moral qualms about slavery. The delegates compromised on the issue, as they recognised that the convention's primary goal was to create a strong form of government. The proposed Constitution did not end slavery, but it allowed Congress to pass laws outlawing the slave trade after 20 years. The delegates also had to decide how slaves would be counted in the census, with the slave states demanding that slaves be counted to determine a state's population and, consequently, its representation in Congress. This resulted in the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted three-fifths of a state's slave population when apportioning representation, giving the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College.
The word "slave" was consciously avoided in the Constitution, and the document did not end slavery in the United States. It was not until the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, passed on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, that slavery was officially abolished. The 13th Amendment states that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
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The Constitution established the government of the United States
The Constitution of the United States, written in 1787, established the government of the United States. It is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. It is the supreme law of the United States of America.
The Constitution was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, during the summer of 1787. It was signed on September 17, 1787, and consisted of four pages. The document established a federal government with three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the President and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III). The first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers. Article IV, Article V, and Article VI describe the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relation to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment. Article VII establishes the procedure used by the 13 states to ratify the Constitution.
The Constitution did not abolish slavery, and it included protections for the institution of slavery. The three-fifths clause, for example, counted three-fifths of a state's slave population when apportioning representation, giving 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.
While the Constitution did not outlaw slavery, it created a central government powerful enough to eventually abolish the institution. Between 1777 and 1804, every Northern state provided for the immediate or gradual abolition of slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, passed in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.
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It is a source of freedom and inspiration for the world
The United States Constitution, written in 1787, did not abolish slavery. In fact, it included protections for the institution of slavery. The Three-Fifths Compromise, for example, counted three-fifths of each state's slave population when apportioning representation, giving Southern states with large slave populations greater representation in the House of Representatives and more votes in the Electoral College. The Constitution also included a Fugitive Slave Clause, requiring the return of runaway slaves to their owners, and prohibited Congress from outlawing the Atlantic slave trade for 20 years.
However, the Constitution also created a central government powerful enough to eventually abolish slavery. In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all persons held as slaves within any state in rebellion against the United States to be "forever free." This proclamation did not end slavery nationwide, but it was a significant step toward that goal.
The 13th Amendment to the Constitution, passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, finally abolished slavery in the United States. The 13th Amendment states that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." This amendment, along with the 14th and 15th Amendments, greatly expanded the civil rights of Americans and served as a source of freedom and inspiration for the world.
The United States' path toward abolishing slavery was a long and complex one. While the original Constitution did not outlaw slavery, it is important to recognize that, by the time the Constitution was written, several American states had already taken steps toward emancipation. Additionally, many of the Founding Fathers, including Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton, had moral qualms about slavery and some were members of anti-slavery societies. The Constitution's creation of a strong central government laid the foundation for the eventual abolition of slavery, even if it did not accomplish this goal immediately.
The 13th Amendment, which completed the abolition of slavery in the United States, stands as a powerful testament to the country's commitment to freedom and equality. It is a source of inspiration for those fighting for civil rights and social justice, both within the United States and around the world. The amendment's passage demonstrates that even deeply entrenched and systemic injustices can be overcome through perseverance and a commitment to the ideals of liberty and human dignity.
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