Though the word "slavery" does not appear in the Constitution, the issue was central to the debates over commerce and representation. The "Three-Fifths Compromise" provided that three-fifths (60%) of enslaved people in each state would count toward congressional representation, which greatly increased the number of congressional seats in several states, particularly in the South. Show
The Convention also debated whether to allow the new federal government to ban the importation of enslaved people from outside of the United States, including directly from Africa. They ultimately agreed to allow Congress to ban it, should it choose, but not before twenty years had passed. Remarkably, it was one of the only clauses of the Constitution that could not be amended. Only in 1808 did the United States formally prohibit the international slave trade. Learn moreThe Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777, but the states did not ratify them until March 1, 1781. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. Once peace removed the rationale of wartime necessity the weaknesses of the 1777 Articles of Confederation became increasingly apparent. Divisions among the states and even local rebellions threatened to destroy the fruits of the Revolution. Nationalists, led by James Madison, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Wilson, almost immediately began working toward strengthening the federal government. They turned a series of regional commercial conferences into a national constitutional convention at Philadelphia in 1787.
John Jay to George Washington, March 16, 1786 Benjamin Franklin’s Proposed Plan of Confederation, 1775Benjamin Franklin. Plan for a Confederation, July 21, 1775. Printed document annotated by Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson Papers, Manuscript Division. Library of Congress (46.01.01) [Digital ID#s us0046a_2, us0046a, us0046a_1] Discover! Writing the Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation Emerge from Congress in 1777United States Continental Congress. Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union Between the States. . . . Lancaster: Francis Bailey, 1777. Pamphlet. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (048.05.00) [Digital ID# us0048_05] Articles of Confederation Ratified[United States Continental Congress]. Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union Between the States of. . . . Williamsburg, Virginia: J. Dixon & W. Hunter, 1778. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (048.04.00) [Digital ID# us0048_04] Articles of Confederation RatifiedConfederation Congress Elects A PresidentLetter from Charles Thomson to George Washington, November 5, 1781. Manuscript. George Washington Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (48.01.00) [Digital ID# us0048_01] Discover! Northwest Ordinance Prohibits SlaveryCommittee of Congress. Draft Report of Northwest Ordinance, March 1784. Broadside with emendations by Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (49.00.00) [Digital ID# us0049] New States in the West and NorthwestThomas Jefferson. Plan for Boundaries in Western Territory, [1784]. Manuscript document. Thomas Jefferson Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (49.01.00) [Digital ID# us0049_01] Congress Drafts Northwest OrdinanceDiscover! Call to Revise Articles of ConfederationLetter from John Jay to George Washington, March 16, 1786. Manuscript. George Washington Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (50.00.00) [Digital ID# us0050] “The Source of the Evil is the Nature of the Government”Letter from Henry Knox to George Washington, December 17, 1786. Manuscript. George Washington Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (50.01.00) [Digital ID#s us0050_01p1, us0050_01p2, us0050_01p3] Madison and Washington Consider ConfederationAnnapolis Meeting Leads to a Broader National ConventionLetter from James Madison to James Monroe, September 11, 1786. Manuscript. James Madison Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (51.01.00) [Digital ID# us0051_01] Financial Crisis FearsLetter from James Monroe to James Madison, September 12, 1786. Manuscript. James Madison Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (051.02.00) [Digital ID# us0051_02p1] Washington and Madison Plan for a New GovernmentSetting for the Creation of the Federal ConstitutionIndependence Hall
Congress Adopts the Northwest OrdinanceUnited States Continental Congress. Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the U.S. Northwest of the Ohio. New York, 1787. Broadside. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (049.04.00) [Digital ID# us0049_04] Congress Adopts the Northwest OrdinanceUnited States Continental Congress. An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the U.S. Northwest of the Ohio. New York: 1787. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (049.03.00) [Digital ID# us0049_03] Crucible for the Creation of the American RepublicFear of Wasting George Washington’s Political CapitalLetter from James Madison to Edmund Randolph, April 15, 1787. Manuscript. James Madison Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (052.02.00) [Digital ID# us0052_02] Read the transcript Fear of Wasting Washington’s Political CapitalLetter from John Dawson to James Madison, April 15, 1787. Manuscript. James Madison Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (052.03.00) [Digital ID# us0052_03] Read the transcript Not Worth a Continental
Plans to Revise the Articles of ConfederationLetter from Rufus King to Nathan Dane, September 17, 1785. Manuscript. Nathan Dane Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (051.03.00) [Digital ID# us0051_03p2] Read the transcript Washington Voices Doubts About a “general Convention”Letter from George Washington to John Jay, May 18, 1786. Letter book. George Washington Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (050.03.00) [Digital ID# us0050_03] Read the transcript Thomas Jefferson on Black EducationLetter from Thomas Jefferson to Robert Pleasants, [August 27, 1796]. Manuscript. Thomas Jefferson Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (048.03.00) [Digital ID# us0048_03] What was the most difficult issue faced by the framers of the Constitution?A central issue at the Convention was whether the federal government or the states would have more power. Many delegates believed that the federal government should be able to overrule state laws, but others feared that a strong federal government would oppress their citizens.
What were the 4 major problems of the Articles of Confederation?The citizens of small states had proportionally more political power than the citizens of large states. The national government had no executive branch. The national government had no way of implementing or enforcing its legislative decisions. The national government had no judicial branch.
Why were the framers so careful to limit the powers?The framers of the Constitution feared too much centralized power, adopting the philosophy of divide and conquer. At the national level, they created three different branches of government to administer three different types of power.
What was a major problem with the central government under the Articles of Confederation?The central government couldn't collect taxes to fund its operations. The Confederation relied on the voluntary efforts of the states to send tax money to the central government. Lacking funds, the central government couldn't maintain an effective military or back its own paper currency.
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What obstacles did the framers face in creating a strong central government?
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