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Virtual Lecture – The Dark Alchemy of the Three-Fifths Clause

Join University of Maryland historian Richard Bell for a deep dive into the darkest corners of the 1787 federal Constitution. The preamble of the United States Constitution announces its purpose to secure “the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,” an important acknowledgement that liberty is the goal and right of all citizens. Yet, most constitutional scholars regard the 1787 Constitution as being vigorously pro-slavery, something that becomes apparent when we take a long hard look at its infamous Three-Fifths Clause. Far more insidious than is commonly understood, the Three-Fifths...