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The Slavery Question at the Constitutional Convention
When delegates met at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, one of the most troublesome questions was what to do about slavery. Not whether it should be abolished, because even the most vehement abolitionist recognized this was neither the time nor the place for that fight. The issues to be decided were how would slaves be counted in the census and whether the states or the central government would control the institution, and what that control would look like.
Creating the Constitution: Slavery
When the Founders met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to frame a new form of government, one of the most troublesome questions was what to do about slavery. To understand their dilemma, we must first consider the world view of it at the time and the practical issues associated with its abolition in the United States.