Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise

Definition

The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that addressed the contentious issues of commerce regulation and the slave trade. It allowed Congress to regulate interstate and international commerce while prohibiting any laws banning the importation of slaves for a period of twenty years. This compromise reflected the need to balance the economic interests of Southern slaveholding states with those of Northern states seeking to limit slavery's expansion.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise was crucial in ensuring Southern states would support the new Constitution, as they relied heavily on slave labor for their agricultural economy.
2. The compromise explicitly allowed Congress to regulate commerce but limited its ability to interfere with the slave trade until 1808.
3. This agreement highlighted the deep divisions between Northern and Southern states regarding slavery, which would continue to be a source of tension leading up to the Civil War.
4. By delaying federal action against the slave trade, this compromise reflected a temporary solution that ultimately maintained the institution of slavery for decades.
5. The compromise set a precedent for future negotiations and compromises surrounding slavery, illustrating how economic interests often dictated political decisions during this era.

Review Questions

• How did the Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise shape the relationship between Northern and Southern states during the Constitutional Convention?
  • The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise played a pivotal role in shaping the relationship between Northern and Southern states by addressing their conflicting interests. The South wanted to protect their economic reliance on slavery, while the North sought to limit its expansion. By agreeing to allow Congress to regulate commerce while delaying any restrictions on the slave trade for twenty years, both sides found a temporary solution that allowed them to come together to support ratification of the Constitution.
• Analyze how the provisions of the Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise reflect broader economic interests at play during the drafting of the Constitution.
  • The provisions of the Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise reflect significant economic interests that shaped political decision-making during the drafting of the Constitution. Southern states depended on slavery for their agrarian economies, fearing that restrictions on slave imports would threaten their livelihoods. Meanwhile, Northern states aimed to establish a more regulated commerce system that would benefit their emerging industrial economy. The compromise illustrates how economic considerations influenced lawmakers to create agreements that would maintain stability and foster unity among states despite deep-seated disagreements.
• Evaluate the long-term consequences of the Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise on American society and politics leading up to the Civil War.
  • The long-term consequences of the Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise had profound impacts on American society and politics as tensions over slavery intensified leading up to the Civil War. By allowing slavery to continue unchallenged for two decades, it reinforced its economic significance in Southern states while fueling abolitionist sentiments in the North. As new territories entered the Union, debates over whether they would be free or slave states became increasingly contentious, setting the stage for conflicts such as Bleeding Kansas and ultimately contributing to secession and war. This compromise exemplified how early compromises regarding slavery sowed seeds of division that would culminate in one of America's most defining conflicts.

Related terms

Three-Fifths Compromise:

An agreement that determined how slaves would be counted for representation and taxation, stating that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted.

Federalism:

A system of government where power is divided between a central authority and individual states, which played a significant role in the debates at the Constitutional Convention.

Constitutional Convention:

A gathering in Philadelphia in 1787 where delegates debated and ultimately drafted the Constitution of the United States, addressing various compromises on key issues.