I don’t recall anyone in the Hannity Forums suggesting “slavery” did not occur in the United States. But the truth is, after the Revolutionary War and the Colonists gained their independence from foreign domination [the real culprit of slavery on American soil] and the United States was formed under the Article of Confederation in 1776 [officially ratified in 1781], the people within a number of the states, exercising their newly found freedom, quickly moved to share the blessings of liberty to all by abolishing slavery!
For example, the people of Vermont took this immediate action in its 1777 Declaration of Rights, “no… person born in this country, or brought here over sea, ought to be holden by law to serve any person as a servant, slave, or apprentice”.
Likewise, the Massachusetts constitution of 1780 declared that “all men are born free and equal” and it was used by the court a few years after its adoption to legally forbid any person to be held as a slave.
And then there was “The Northwest Ordinance” (formally An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio, and also known as The Ordinance of 1787) enacted July 13, 1787, and was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States.
The Northwest Ordinance, enacted by the Congress of the Confederation of the United States before our existing Constitution was ratified, declared the following prohibition: “there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said Territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.”
By the year 1788 all the states north of Maryland, except New York and New Jersey, had legislated to extinguish slavery, and by 1804 the remaining two northern states [N.Y. and N.J.] had put slavery to rest!
Additionally let us remember that our original Constitution also provided a measure to tax slavery into extinction [Article 1, Section 9, Cl. 1],
“The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.”
And let us not forget the Constitution also denied slave-holding states full representation in Congress by Article 1, Section 2, Cl. 3.
“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”
So, do tell, what is your version of the history of slavery when the United States was formed, and the American people gained their independence from Great Britian?
