Slavery and the Founding

One of the oldest but hottest debates over the U.S. Constitution has concerned its relationship to slavery, a dispute that goes right to the heart of the meaning of the founding of the republic. Some observers have portrayed slavery as a – even the – vital problem of the Founding, and denounced the Constitution as a proslavery document. Other scholars contend that this picture unduly elevates the importance of slavery in the contest over the Constitution and distorts the intent of the Founders. This essay reviews recent entries in this debate to frame its argument that slavery figured largely as a weapon that Federalists and Antifederalists wielded to press their more primary points. It examines the debates over – and using – the various slavery clauses in the document to conclude that slavery was a versatile tool in rather than a core concern of the Constitutional Convention and ratification debates.