Signing the Constitution in Philadelphia
<p> <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="Steve">Steve</span> <span word="Ember">Ember</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="series">series</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="continue">continue</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="Constitution">Constitution</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="May">May</span> <span word="of">of</span> 1787, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="America">America</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="early">early</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span> <span word="met">met</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Philadelphia">Philadelphia</span>, <span word="Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="amend">amend</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Articles">Articles</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Confederation">Confederation</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="document">document</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="established">established</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="loose">loose</span> <span word="union">union</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> 13 <span word="states">states</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="weak">weak</span> <span word="central">central</span> <span word="government">government</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="amending">amending</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="articles">articles</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="convention">convention</span> <span word="wrote">wrote</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="completely">completely</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="constitution">constitution</span>.</p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="issues">issues</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="discussed">discussed</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="slavery">slavery</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="existence">existence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="slavery">slavery</span> <span word="affected">affected</span> <span word="decisions">decisions</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="count">count</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="population">population</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="affected">affected</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="powers">powers</span> <span word="proposed">proposed</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Congress">Congress</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="convention">convention</span> <span word="accepted">accepted</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="compromises">compromises</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="issue">issue</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="slavery">slavery</span>.</p><p><span word="One">One</span> <span word="compromise">compromise</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> "<span word="three">three</span>-<span word="fifths">fifths</span>" <span word="rule">rule</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="population">population</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="counted">counted</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="ten">ten</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="decide">decide</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="members">members</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="House">House</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Representatives">Representatives</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Congress">Congress</span>. <span word="With">With</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="three">three</span>-<span word="fifths">fifths</span> <span word="rule">rule</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="agreed">agreed</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="slaves">slaves</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="counted">counted</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="people">people</span>.</p><p><span word="Another">Another</span> <span word="compromise">compromise</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="allow">allow</span> <span word="states">states</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="import">import</span> <span word="slaves">slaves</span> <span word="until">until</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="year">year</span> 1808. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="no">no</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="slaves">slaves</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="brought">brought</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>.</p><p><span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Philadelphia">Philadelphia</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="compromises">compromises</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="compromises">compromises</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="southern">southern</span> <span word="states">states</span> -- <span word="where">where</span> <span word="slavery">slavery</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="widespread">widespread</span> -- <span word="from">from</span> <span word="leaving">leaving</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="convention">convention</span>.</p><p><span word="After">After</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="debates">debates</span>, <span word="bitter">bitter</span> <span word="arguments">arguments</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="compromises">compromises</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="nearing">nearing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="work">work</span>. <span word="Four">Four</span> <span word="months">months</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="passed">passed</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="convention">convention</span> <span word="began">began</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="weather">weather</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="hot">hot</span>. <span word="Emotions">Emotions</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="hot">hot</span>, <span word="too">too</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="expected">expected</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Philadelphia">Philadelphia</span> -- <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="men">men</span> -- <span word="were">were</span> <span word="deciding">deciding</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="future">future</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="country">country</span>.</p>
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