Omar Bennett
The question of why the Founding Fathers kept slavery in the Constitution is a complex one that has been scrutinized and debated by historians and scholars. The Founding Fathers were faced with the challenge of navigating the issue of slavery, which was deeply rooted in American society at the time. Many of them, including prominent figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, owned slaves themselves. While some acknowledged the contradiction between the ideals of liberty and freedom espoused by the Enlightenment and the institution of slavery, they struggled to reconcile their personal beliefs with the economic and political realities of the time. The Founding Fathers drafted constitutional clauses that acknowledged regional differences over slavery while requiring compromises from all sections of the country. They also had to consider the potential for future conflict and the need to maintain unity within the newly formed United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Slavery was a deeply rooted institution in the colonies | The Founding Fathers were born into a slaveholding society where the morality of owning slaves was rarely questioned |
| Many Founding Fathers owned slaves | George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and many others |
| The Founding Fathers had different views on slavery | Some, like John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, were members of anti-slavery societies, while others, like Thomas Jefferson, believed slavery to be a political and moral evil but did not personally free his slaves |
| The Founding Fathers wanted to maintain unity in the new United States | They granted concessions to slaveholding states, such as the three-fifths clause, to ensure their support for a strong central government |
| The Founding Fathers wanted to avoid regional tensions over slavery | They drafted constitutional clauses acknowledging regional differences over slavery and requiring compromises from all sections of the country |
| The Founding Fathers wanted to protect private property rights and limited government | They prioritized these principles over taking a bold stand against slavery |
| The Founding Fathers wanted to avoid economic disruption | Slavery was integral to the economy, especially in the Southern states |
| The Founding Fathers believed slavery would eventually end | They assumed it would crumble on its own or be abolished by future generations |
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What You'll Learn
The founding fathers' personal views on slavery
During the era of the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789), the founders (with the exception of those from South Carolina and Georgia) exhibited considerable aversion to slavery. They prohibited the importation of foreign slaves to individual states and supported a proposal to ban slavery in the Northwest Territory. Despite these efforts, the ban on slavery in the Northwest tacitly legitimised its expansion in the Southwest, and the founders continued to prioritise maintaining the unity of the new United States over taking a strong stance against slavery.
Some founding fathers, such as Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush, took more active roles in the abolitionist movement. In 1774, they founded America's first anti-slavery society, and John Jay served as president of a similar society in New York. Other founding fathers, such as Richard Bassett, James Monroe, and Charles Carroll, were also members of societies for ending slavery.
Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the words "all men are created equal" in the Declaration of Independence, has been scrutinised for owning hundreds of slaves throughout his life. He believed slavery to be a political and moral evil and wished for its abolition, but he never personally freed his slaves. Instead, when he died in 1826, his slaves were sold off to pay off his debts.
George Washington, who owned hundreds of slaves, began to change his views during the Revolutionary War. He wrote that he wished to get clear of owning slaves and, upon his death, freed the slaves he owned in his will, the only founding father to do so.
In summary, while the founding fathers' personal views on slavery were varied, many of them recognised the contradiction between the institution of slavery and the American ideal of liberty. However, their commitment to private property rights, limited government, and maintaining unity prevented them from taking bolder action against slavery.
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The founding fathers' actions on slavery
During the era of the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789), the Founding Fathers took some steps towards abolishing slavery. They prohibited the importation of foreign slaves to individual states and supported a proposal to ban slavery in the Northwest Territory. However, these actions also served the economic interests of slaveholders in states like Virginia and Maryland, who could sell their surplus slaves at higher prices. Additionally, the ban on slavery in the Northwest tacitly legitimized its expansion in the Southwest.
The Constitutional Convention in 1787 revealed deep divisions over slavery between the northern and southern states. The framers of the Constitution made concessions to the southern delegates, granting them the right to count three-fifths of their slave population for representation in Congress, which enhanced their power in the House of Representatives. They also agreed to a moratorium until 1808 on any congressional ban against the importation of slaves. These compromises were made to maintain unity and ensure the support of southern delegates for a strong central government.
While some Founding Fathers, like John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, actively opposed slavery and were members of anti-slavery societies, others were more ambivalent. Thomas Jefferson, for example, wrote about the equality of all men in the Declaration of Independence yet owned slaves throughout his life. He recognized the injustice of slavery but failed to take decisive action, believing it was a complex issue that future generations would resolve.
In summary, the Founding Fathers' actions on slavery were influenced by their economic reliance on slavery, moral dilemmas, and political compromises. While some took steps towards abolition, others prioritized unity and stability, leaving the issue of slavery unresolved and setting the stage for future conflicts.
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The founding fathers' economic reliance on slavery
The founding fathers were born into a slaveholding society, and the institution of slavery was deeply rooted in the colonies. A majority of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and nearly half of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention owned slaves. This prevalence of slave ownership among the founding fathers reflects the economic reliance on slavery within their communities and the societal acceptance of the practice.
The Southern Founders, in particular, had a significant economic investment in slave-based staple agriculture. The Southern economy was heavily dependent on slave labor, especially in agriculture and, later, with the invention of the cotton gin in 1793. This economic reliance on slavery made it challenging for the Southern Founders to advocate for emancipation actively. Instead, they steered clear of organized anti-slavery activities to maintain their legitimacy among their slave-holding constituents.
While the Northern Founders had less direct reliance on slave labor for their agriculture, their economy was still tied to exports from the Southern states. Additionally, some Northern Founders, such as John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, were slaveholders themselves, even though they supported anti-slavery causes at the state level. The economic ties between the North and the South, and the presence of slave ownership in both regions, created a complex dynamic that influenced the founding fathers' approach to slavery.
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The founding fathers' political reliance on slavery
Secondly, the Founding Fathers were aware that slavery was a controversial and polarising issue that could threaten the unity of the newly formed United States. They prioritised maintaining national unity over immediately addressing the issue of slavery. By granting concessions to slaveholding states, such as the Three-Fifths Compromise, they sought to balance the interests of the northern and southern states. The Founding Fathers also believed that the southern states would refuse to join the Union if slavery were abolished, further threatening the stability of the nation.
Additionally, the Founding Fathers held differing views on slavery, and some of them actively worked towards its abolition. For example, Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush founded America's first anti-slavery society in 1774, and other Founding Fathers, such as John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, were members of similar organisations. Thomas Jefferson, despite owning slaves himself, wrote about the injustice of the slave trade and acknowledged that it violated the natural rights of the enslaved. However, these efforts towards abolition were often hampered by practical and political considerations, as well as the deep-seated racial prejudice that was prevalent at the time.
In conclusion, the Founding Fathers' political reliance on slavery was a result of their personal involvement in the institution, the desire to maintain national unity, and the complex political landscape of the time. While some Founding Fathers actively worked towards abolition, others prioritised stability and the status quo, reflecting the contradictions and challenges inherent in the early years of the United States.
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The founding fathers' views on racial inferiority
The founding fathers were born into a slaveholding society where the morality of owning slaves was rarely questioned. The institution of slavery was protected by law in all 13 American colonies when they declared their independence from Great Britain in 1776. A majority of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and nearly half of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention owned slaves, and four of the first five presidents of the United States were slave owners.
Many of the founding fathers, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, owned numerous slaves. Others, like Benjamin Franklin, owned just a few, while some, such as Alexander Hamilton, married into large slave-owning families. Despite this, all of them expressed a desire at some point to see the institution gradually abolished.
Other founding fathers, such as John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, were among the founders of the New York Manumission Society in 1785, which established the New York African Free School in 1787. During the debate on the Constitution, Gouverneur Morris, one of the most vocal opponents of slavery among the founding fathers, called it a "nefarious institution" and "the curse of heaven on the States where it prevailed."
The founding fathers' commitment to private property rights, principles of limited government, and intersectional harmony, as well as their investment in slave-based agriculture and racial prejudice, prevented them from taking bold action against slavery. They recognized the contradiction between the ideals of liberty and equality and the existence of slavery, but they prioritized maintaining the unity of the new United States and diffusing sectional tensions over slavery.
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Frequently asked questions
The founding fathers' views on slavery were varied, but the majority of them kept slaves and many had conflicting views on the topic. Some founding fathers, such as Thomas Jefferson, believed slavery to be a "political and moral evil" but did not have the courage to lead the way to emancipation. Others, such as John Rutledge of South Carolina, did not believe that "religion and humanity" had anything to do with the question of slavery. The founding fathers believed that concessions on slavery were necessary to gain the support of southern delegates for a strong central government.
Yes, many of the founding fathers were members of societies for ending slavery, including Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Richard Bassett, James Madison, James Monroe, and many more. Pennsylvania and Massachusetts began abolishing slavery in 1780, and other states followed suit in the coming years.
While many of the founding fathers expressed a wish to see the institution of slavery gradually abolished, few actually freed their slaves. George Washington signed a law prohibiting slavery in certain territories, and he also freed his slaves. John Adams did not own slaves, and he believed that the American Revolution would never be complete until the slaves were free.
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