Constitutional Convention Silence

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Causes of “The Silence” at the Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was held in Pennsylvania in the year 1787. Delegates from nearly every state discussed how the states and slaves should be represented in national legislature, what should be done about the slave trade, and powers granted to each branch of government. But one issue was not discussed, and that was of the abolition of slavery. The issue of the abolition of slavery was not present at the Constitutional Convention because it was controversial throughout the country. The Founding Fathers’ commitment to their belief in limited central government, unity throughout the country, and their lack of hindsight knowledge were the basis for this conflict and were what ultimately …show more content…
Whether you were from the deep South or the North during this time in American history, you would shy away from anything that seemed to take away your individual rights. For some in 1787, slavery was one of those individual rights. Those individuals looked to the bible and the Constitution for justification. “They wanted a specific provision in the Constitution that would prohibit any federal legislation restricting the property rights of slave owners” (Ellis, 92). By enacting this sort of provision, it would allow slavery to survive and flourish as it currently existed. Those who were against slavery were pulled in two directions on this issue. They didn't believe in the act of slavery and thought it morally wrong, but on the other hand they believed that everyone's individual rights should be upheld and not controlled by the federal government. This conflict within the people was one of the reasons that the subject was not addressed at this convention. The report of the committee of the whole house states "That Congress have no authority to interfere in the emancipation of slaves, or in the treatment of them within any of the States” (Committee of the whole house, Article 1). This statement further explains the people's view on the power of state over federal government …show more content…
Bringing the colonists together in a time of war was important, but bringing them together for the formation of their country was even more imperative. The issue of slavery created a great divide between the people, threatening unity as a whole. There were attempts at a civil discussion of this subject, but these were behind closed doors and were very confidential. The idea of the abolition of slavery was put to rest and no changes would be made to the current situation. “Any attempt to renegotiate that sectional agreement by the current congress would result in the disintegration of the national confederation at the very moment of its birth” (Ellis, 84). The main focus of the country at the moment was staying unified and growing economically and politically stable before tackling any moral issues. The United States of America needed to surpass their first stages of life before they would worry about such issues as the abolition of slavery. The Southern states were the root of the conflict against the abolitionists. They threatened unity by giving the country an ultimatum, stating that they would “... leave the union if the federal government ever attempted to implement a national emancipation policy” (Ellis, 93). In the end, the Founding Fathers did what they thought was best for the country, even if that meant sacrificing their battle against slavery for
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