history 2-1

https://blackboard.odessa.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-2327939-dt-content-rid-10211225_1/xid-10211225_1

Slavery in the Constitution

The Declaration of Independence claims that "all men are created equal" referencing Enlightenment philosophies that God instills equal rights into every human being which no government can take away. However, when writing the U.S. Constitution, the founding fathers chose not to abolish slavery even though they intended to include ideals directly from the Declaration of Independence. In this discussion forum, you all will grapple with the following questions:

• Why did the founding fathers keep slavery in the Constitution?
• How would US History be different if the founders had abolished slavery in the Constitution?
• Based on what you know about the Civil War, could it have been avoided if the founders had abolished slavery in the Constitution?

You should use the artifacts from class as well as the assigned readings from this week. However you decide to answer these questions, be sure you have specific evidence (details or examples) from the readings to help support your argument.