The delegates to the Constitutional Convention resolved their disagreement regarding slavery through several major compromises:

• The Three-Fifths Compromise: The delegates agreed that for purposes of congressional representation and taxation, enslaved individuals would be counted as three-fifths of a person. This gave Southern states more representation than if only free persons were counted but less than if slaves were fully counted.

• Slave Trade Compromise: Southern delegates wanted to protect the Atlantic slave trade, preventing Congress from banning it. The compromise allowed Congress to ban the importation of enslaved people, but not until 20 years after the Constitution’s ratification (which occurred in 1808).

• Slavery not Explicitly Protected: Southern delegates sought explicit constitutional protection for slavery, but this demand was denied. The Constitution avoided any explicit reference to slavery to maintain unity among the states.

These compromises reflected the delegates’ attempt to balance sectional interests, preserve the union, and avoid immediate conflict over the contentious issue of slavery at the time of the nation’s founding.