The U.S. Constitution of 1787 contained proslavery elements, such as the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation purposes, and the Fugitive Slave Clause, which required the return of escaped enslaved people. However, it also contained antislavery sentiments, such as the prohibition of the slave trade after 1808 and the language of liberty and equality that inspired later abolitionist movements. The Constitution's ambiguous language allowed for both proslavery and antislavery interpretations, reflecting the deeply divided views on slavery at the time. This duality ultimately contributed to the tensions leading up to the Civil War.
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