Debating the part of slaves under a new constitution
<p><span word="From">From</span> <span word="VOA">VOA</span> <span word="Learning">Learning</span> <span word="English">English</span>, <span word="welcome">welcome</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="THE">THE</span> <span word="MAKING">MAKING</span> <span word="OF">OF</span> <span word="A">A</span> <span word="NATION">NATION</span> – <span word="American">American</span> <span word="history">history</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Special">Special</span> <span word="English">English</span>. <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="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="Instead">Instead</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</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>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="created">created</span> <span word="America">America</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="recognized">recognized</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rights">rights</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="citizens">citizens</span>.</p><p><span word="Last">Last</span> <span word="week">week</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="discussed">discussed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="agreed">agreed</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="states">states</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="represented">represented</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="government">government</span>.</p><p><span word="There">There</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="houses">houses</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="legislature">legislature</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="house">house</span> -- <span word="the">the</span> <span word="House">House</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Representatives">Representatives</span> -- <span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="representatives">representatives</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="depend">depend</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="state">state</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="population">population</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="house">house</span> -- <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Senate">Senate</span> -- <span word="all">all</span> <span word="states">states</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="equal">equal</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="representatives">representatives</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="agreement">agreement</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="representation">representation</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> "<span word="Great">Great</span> <span word="Compromise">Compromise</span>." <span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Philadelphia">Philadelphia</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="pleased">pleased</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="saved">saved</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="convention">convention</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="failure">failure</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="debate">debate</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="representation">representation</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="House">House</span> <span word="raised">raised</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="issue">issue</span>. <span word="No">No</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="wanted">wanted</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="knew">knew</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="discuss">discuss</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="issue">issue</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="slavery">slavery</span>. <span word="There">There</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="slaves">slaves</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1787. <span word="Most">Most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="southern">southern</span> <span word="states">states</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="slaves">slaves</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="north">north</span>, <span word="too">too</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="northern">northern</span> <span word="ship">ship</span> <span word="owners">owners</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="importing">importing</span> <span word="slaves">slaves</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>.</p>
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