Episode 9: The Compromise over Slavery

In this episode of the American Founding, Dr. Cost examines the compromise of slavery forged at the Constitutional Convention. While most delegates understood on an intellectual level that slavery was incompatible with a free republic, all were willing to compromise on the issue. Thus, the Constitution reflected an oligarchy, where political power was related to ownership of human beings. At the same time, the subtext of the Constitution quietly suggested the immorality of slavery, paving the way for its ultimate destruction.