The Pennsylvania Delegation and the Peculiar Institution: The Two Faces of the Keystone State
Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 112, No. 1, January 1988
23 Pages Posted: 13 Aug 2009
Date Written: 1988
Abstract
This article discusses the role of the Pennsylvania delegation to the constitutional convention and its role in the protection of slavery in the constitution itself. Professor Finkelman cites the example of Pennsylvania’s gradual emancipation statute as a critical compromise which led to the protection of slavery. While some in the delegation, like Gouverneur Morris, were staunch opponents of slavery, many of the compromises that they suggested became the very keys to the incorporation of the slavery related clauses.
Keywords: Pennsylvania delegation, constitutional convention, slavery
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