The original version of the Constitution was the result of a series of compromises made to arrive at a document that would be voted on by the majority of the newly emerged states. Slavery was a very sensitive issue, as it was widespread on the continent. It should be noted that the Declaration of Independence clearly stated that "all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among which are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Although this progressive view was shared by many members of the Constitutional Convention, it is clear that the original text of the U.S. Constitution was quite pro-slavery and protected slave owners to some extent. It is of utmost importance to note that the words slavery/slave are not used in the text of the Constitution. The two factors that shaped the Constitution as pro-slavery: the need for slave owners to protect their private property through law and the limited Northern support for abolition at the time of the writing of the Constituti...