The Constitution: A Nation of States

#constitution #america #prageru #history

Script:

The first half of the Constitution —Articles I, II and III — discuss the powers of the three branches of the national government. The second half of the Constitution — Articles IV through VII — discuss the relationship between the national government and the states.

These four articles don’t get the attention of the first three, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less important.

Let’s take a closer look.

First, Article IV.

When America won the Revolutionary War, the former English colonies became free and independent states—almost as if they were separate countries. But when those states later voted to ratify the federal Constitution, they became part of an indestructible union of states under a common national government, one in which all citizens were granted the same rights.

This seems obvious to us now, but it was new then. As Article IV affirms, “The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.”

This gets complicated -- as everything did at the time -- when the issue of slavery is raised.

Section Two of Article IV declares that “[N]o Person held to…Labour in one State…escaping into another, shall… be discharged from such…Labour, but shall be delivered up [to] the Party to whom such…Labour may be due.”

This is called the Fugitive Slave Clause, though the term “slave” is not used. In fact, you can’t find the word “slave” anywhere in the original Constitution. The Framers were wary about endorsing slavery even though, for political reasons — to keep the Southern states in the Union — they permitted it.

As James Madison explained, it would be “wrong to admit in the