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how did the framers of the new u.s. constitution in the late 1700s reconcile their commitment to liberty and equality when it came to black people?

User Bogatyrjov
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The framers of the new U.S. Constitution in the late 1700s faced a significant challenge in reconciling their commitment to liberty and equality with the institution of slavery and the treatment of black people in America. Although many of the framers recognized the contradiction between their ideals and the reality of the slave trade, they ultimately failed to address it head-on in the Constitution.

Some framers, such as James Madison and George Mason, were vocal opponents of slavery and argued that it was incompatible with the principles of the new republic. However, they were unable to convince enough of their colleagues to abolish slavery entirely, and instead, a compromise was reached that counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation in Congress.

This compromise, known as the Three-Fifths Compromise, allowed the southern states to maintain their political power and influence, while also recognizing the humanity of enslaved people to some degree. However, it did not address the fundamental problem of slavery itself, and it was not until the Civil War and the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution that slavery was finally abolished in the United States.

In short, the framers of the new U.S. Constitution in the late 1700s failed to fully reconcile their commitment to liberty and equality with the institution of slavery and the treatment of black people in America. While some were vocal opponents of slavery, they were unable to convince enough of their colleagues to abolish it entirely, and instead, a compromise was reached that recognized the humanity of enslaved people to some degree but did not address the fundamental problem of slavery itself.

User Rodrigosimoesrosa
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