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What Was Mentioned about Slavery in the Constitution?

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Jane Edison

Unfortunately, slavery has had a significant impact on people across the globe and it was quite common in numerous countries in the world in the 18th century. Slavery dated back to the Roman Empire and it is common knowledge that they were used by wealthy Roman citizens who wanted to maintain a certain standard lifestyle. In the 18th century slavery was everywhere and it was possible to trade in slaves and to buy slaves. As far as slavery in the constitution is concerned, there is much to be said about this aspect. Deciding on the best presidents of the United States is not an easy task for there are various aspects that need to be considered when creating a ranking.

What to Know about Slavery in the Constitution?

By the 18th century, slaves were everywhere: in Europe, in Africa and in the States. In the States it was impossible for rich land owners of the South to tend to their crops and slaves were a necessity. The southern colonies made money from farming, cotton and tobacco and they needed money to live a wealthy lifestyle. Back then there were no such things as farm machinery and the fields were tended manually. All this manual labor was done by the slaves and it required an impressive number of slaves. In other words, wealthy southern people relied on slaves to support their southern way of life. As far as slavery in the constitution is concerned, the north was in favor of eliminating slavery.

The 13 colonies, northern and southern had different views on slavery, the northern ones were against while the southern ones were in favor. The problem was that they needed to collaborate to get rid of the British and the northern colonies had no other option but to accept slavery in the south. The Articles of Confederation, a document issued during the Revolutionary war left many issues unresolved and slavery was one of them. As the Federal Government was unable to defend the Nation, something had to be done and the Articles had to be replaced entirely. It was on 4th March 1789 that the States replaced the Articles with the Constitution.

As the Constitution was accepted by all the States, the difference of opinion between the pro-slavery and the anti-slavery still existed. To make a compromise, each slave in the state was considered a 3/5 of a person although this was hard for the south to accept. The slave states refused to increase their House membership by freeing slaves and the free states had no other option but to accept that. When it comes to slavery in the constitution slavery was considered legal in the South and illegal in the North. The problem was how will the new states in the West deal with slavery?

Which Are the Best Presidents of the United States?

The United States had numerous presidents over the years, 45 to be more precise and deciding on the best and the worst is quite a challenge. The social, economic and political conditions were different for each president for the last 244 years and technological advancements have had a great impact on today’s society and the way we live nowadays. Many presidents have not lived to see railroads, communications, automobiles, aviation, space exploration and others. Although many things can be said about the 5 best presidents of the States, I believe this ranking is accurate.

The best presidents this country has ever seen are:
George Washington (1789-1797)- his contribution to the States was impressive, he managed to chase the British from our lands and he was appointed Commander in Chief for at the time there was not such a thing as a President. His most significant accomplishments occurred on the battlefields during the Revolutionary War: 
• He was in charge of the Siege of Boston and he succeeded to chase away the British
• He led the Battle of Trenton
• He led the capture of the British
• The forced the British surrender.

As president of the United States he drafted the operational structure of the Executive Branch, establish the federal judiciary and the first bank in the States, maintained a neutral position during the French Revolutionary War and he resolved border differences with Spain by negotiating a treaty. As you can see, his contribution was not small and he deserves to be on the top of the list of the finest presidents.

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1864)- he was president of the States during challenging times, when the southern states that supported slavery attacked Fort Sumter. It was President Lincoln who defeated the southern forces and who tried to restore normality in the States in the South, but unfortunately, he was assassinated on April 15,1865. He is known for:
• Preserving the union by defeating the Southern states
• Freed the slaves after releasing the Emancipation Proclamation. 
• Planned the reconstruction of the south
• Established the Republican Party

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)- he was the Supreme Allied Commander during World War 2, he served two terms as President of the United States and he is known for:
• Establishing an armed truce with North Korea to put an end to the Korean War
• Enhancing the military capabilities of the States
• Creating National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Two More Best Presidents

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)- he was known for his negotiating skills in the foreign relations and for his excellent communication skills. He will be remembered for making National defense a priority, restructuring the tax code and producing a long peace-time economy.

Donald J. Trump (2017-2021)- despite the fact that he does not have a background in politics, he puts in a lot of effort to keep the Nation strong and to improve the lives of Americans. During his presidency he has been facing an environment that he cannot control, an environment that has been significantly affected by the COVID-19. However, he reestablished military dominance, balanced import-export activities and put strict restrictions on legal and illegal immigration.

When it comes to slavery in the constitution, it is worth mentioning that the Constitution was drafted by James Madison, which was highly educated and the issue of slavery was somehow left unresolved. These 5 best presidents that were mentioned before have gained their place in this ranking due to their significant contribution.

 

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Jane Edison
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