Slavery Vs Tariffs

In the 1700’s, the Northern and Southern regions of the United States had developed two distinct economies. In the South, large plantations and farms owned by wealthy men growing cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, and indigo were responsible for the majority of the economy. These plantations and farms used slaves to substitute for the necessary labor as it was a much cheaper and more accessible alternative. Trade and business were predominantly conducted overseas with Great Britain and other European nations. Towards the North, however, people thrived off of a more diverse and industrial economy; some also worked as farmers, but more were merchants, bankers, and laborers who manufactured goods. With a larger working body, the North’s economy

The Framers came to an agreement by combining both sides of both arguments. In segments of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, it is written that Congress has the power “to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts, and Excises” and “to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes.” In addition, Article I, Section 9 also states that “the Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight.” Congress was given the power to regulate interstate as well as foreign trade and commerce as the North had proposed. They were also able to deal with other aspects of economics including being the only branch of government able to introduce and enforce taxes. With these new compromises written into the Constitution, the North also had to assent to the ideas of slavery from the South. Most notably, the three-fifths clause in Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution determined slaves to be valued as three-fifths of any free person. This helped to settle the dispute on representation because the Southern states had higher populations, mainly due to the presence of slaves, which would account for more representation in Congress. To reach a consensus, all those enslaved were considered to only be three-fifths of a free person. Finally, in Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution, the fugitive slave clause was created declaring that all slaves who escaped would be rightfully returned to their owners. If a slave escaped from the South to the North, the Northerners would by law have to return the slaves to their homes. This compromise, along with many of the others, was created to gain the support of southern states such as North and South Carolina and