The Debate

Background. Following the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the Constitution needed to be ratified by nine states to go into effect. Each state held a special convention to decide on ratification.

The future of the nation was at stake. The English, French, and Spanish still posed external threats to the states. An armed rebellion had rocked Massachusetts recently. The states clearly needed to defend themselves. The Articles of Confederation had failed, and the country was floundering.

Everyone was talking about one thing: Should the states start over under the new Constitution? It would provide for a strong defense. It would allow Congress to regulate trade and impose taxes. It seemed like it would help solve many of the problems the states faced.

But it also raised many issues. One set of issues concerned the compromises on slavery that had been made to get Southern states to agree to the Constitution. One reason for these compromises was that many people at the time mistakenly thought that slavery was dying as an institution. They thought it had no economic future.

Your role. Imagine that you are a delegate to the Massachusetts convention. You oppose slavery and are concerned about the various compromises made to the slave states. (See The Constitution and Slavery, for details on these compromises). Tomorrow, the convention will discuss these compromises. The question for debate is: Should the Constitution be adopted even though it has these compromises on slavery?

You will be called on to make a one-minute speech on this issue. Prepare a written statement that you will turn in (as a record of your speech for the newspapers). When you deliver your speech, you must not read your statement. This will not impress the convention. You should give a persuasive speech meant to sway the members of the convention either to:

• ratify the Constitution (despite the concessions to the South on slavery)

  OR

• not ratify the Constitution (because of the concessions to the South on slavery)

Your speech and written statement should:

A. Include specific references to the concessions to the South.

B. Answer the question: Should the Constitution be adopted even though it has these compromises on slavery?

C. Give reasons for your answer.

D. Be persuasive.

E. Reflect the time period. (You are supposed to be a person of that time. Don't give a speech that uses knowledge of events that took place after 1787.)

Return to The Constitution and Slavery Guide