Final answer:
In the late 18th century, the North proposed a compromise that allowed the slave trade to continue until 1808 in exchange for Southern support for other constitutional provisions. Northern objections were part moral but also political, as they viewed imported slaves as increasing Southern influence through the three-fifths clause for representation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Compromise of the North Regarding the Slave Trade
In the context of the United States during its formative years, the North had to address the contentious issue of the slave trade. At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Northern delegates, who largely viewed the trans-Atlantic slave trade as immoral, agreed to a 'dirty compromise' with Southern delegates. This compromise included a provision that allowed the continuation of the international slave trade until 1808; in exchange, Southern states would support clauses facilitating Congress's ability to pass commercial legislation. Despite moral objections to slavery, northerners also understood the political implications, as each enslaved individual would be counted as three-fifths of a person for representation, which would increase Southern political power. After the compromise, the Atlantic slave trade was maintained until its federally mandated end in 1808 for three pivotal reasons: the desire to not be morally outpaced by Britain, which was also enacting anti-slave trade laws; the impact of the Haitian Revolution; and growing domestic populations that lessened the dependency on imported slaves for some states like Virginia and Maryland, leading to higher prices due to the cessation of international trade. While Northern delegates initially aimed to prohibit participation in the international slave trade altogether, the proposed outright ban faced strong opposition from Southern representatives, leading to this pivotal agreement.