(06-04-2014 02:10 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  

(06-04-2014 01:51 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(06-04-2014 01:12 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  Had the Articles of Confederation been approved, instead of our current Constitution, slavery would have been abolished with the founding of the nation, women would have been given the right to vote, and the power of the federal government would have been greatly restricted.

I don't believe for one minute that the Articles of Confederation would had had any affect on slavery because no slave state would adhere to such a measure. All sides knew slavery was going to be an issue, which is why it was specifically left out of the Constitution. It was the very first can kicked down the road.

Which ended with the Three-Fifths Compromise, which designated slaves as less than human.

Only the first in a line of many such compromises. Ultimately, those Northern colonies valued Federal legitimacy more than the issue of slavery. Without such a concession, the is no nation to speak of. I think many of the original framers felt like john0 said; that economically slavery was on its way out anyway, no need to let this issue get in the way of the dream. Damn Eli Whitney!