Which of the following is true about the position of the northern states toward slavery during the Constitutional Convention?

Question

Most northern states agreed that enslaved people should count toward a state's population.

Most northern states wanted the slave trade to continue into the future.

Most northern states likely wanted to ban the practice of enslaving people.

Northern states refused to make any compromises over slavery.

Answer 1

The statement that is true about the position of the northern states toward slavery during the Constitutional Convention is:

Most northern states likely wanted to ban the practice of enslaving people.

During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, many delegates from northern states were opposed to the institution of slavery and favored measures that would limit or eventually abolish it. However, there were also complex compromises made, such as the three-fifths compromise, where enslaved people were counted as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes. While some northern states did not want to continue the slave trade indefinitely, their positions varied, and they often made compromises with southern states that wanted to preserve slavery.