What did the debate about slavery at the constitutional convention?

The debate about slavery at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 centered on how to address the institution in the new Constitution, reflecting deep divisions between Northern and Southern states. Southern delegates sought to protect slavery and ensure representation for enslaved individuals in Congress through mechanisms like the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for apportionment purposes. In contrast, many Northern delegates aimed to limit the expansion of slavery and sought to prevent it from being enshrined in the new framework of government. Ultimately, the compromises made during the convention laid the groundwork for ongoing tensions over slavery that would eventually lead to the Civil War.