How did the U.S. Constitution address the issue of slavery?
A It abolished slavery throughout the United States.
B It included provisions that protected the institution.
C It granted enslaved people full citizenship.
D It ignored the issue of slavery entirely.
How did the U.S. Constitution address the issue of slavery?
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The correct answer is B: It included provisions that protected the institution.
The U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1787, included several provisions that indirectly protected slavery. For example, the Three-Fifths Compromise counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of representation and taxation. Additionally, it included the Fugitive Slave Clause, which required that escaped enslaved people be returned to their owners. Thus, while the Constitution did not explicitly mention slavery in a protective manner, it certainly included provisions that upheld the institution.