Before the Revolutionary War, the American colonies had laws that made slavery legal. But after the war, most Northern states began to pass emancipation acts (laws) that abolished slavery. In Southern states, slavery remained a key part of the economy. These states continued to pass strict laws that denied rights to enslaved people and gave more power to slaveholders.
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Debating Slavery
As a result, when delegates met at the Constitutional Convention to create laws for the new nation, slavery was an important issue. Watch this video to learn about some of the different opinions the delegates had about how the ideas of liberty and freedom applied to slavery.
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NARRATOR: In 1780, Pennsylvania lawmakers ruled that all Black children born in Pennsylvania from that year forward were to be freed at age 28.
In 1783, Massachusetts outlawed slavery entirely, based on a state constitution that declared all men are born free and equal. Connecticut and Rhode Island soon followed with gradual emancipation acts.
There was no greater division in the nation than the one that lay between the states that had begun to abolish slavery and those that had not.
In 1787, representatives from 12 of the 13 states met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a constitutional convention. Delegates voiced great concern over the protection of individual liberties and personal property. For Southern delegates, one of the most important liberties was the right to own slaves. While they wanted a federal government that would protect their rights, they did not want a governing body that would emancipate their slaves.
DEBORAH GRAY WHITE: The problem is this notion that the pursuit of happiness is tied to property. So even though Thomas Jefferson is able to say, "All men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights," these rights include the right of property. As strongly as people might adhere to the notion of liberty and freedom, they adhere just as strongly to the notion of property.
What was one reason that pro-slavery delegates felt they had a right to enslave people?