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What does the Constitution say about slavery?

By Martin Kelly, About.com

Question: What does the Constitution say about slavery?

Answer: The words "slave" or "slavery" do not exist in the Constitution. However, slavery is referred to in a couple of places. For one thing, there was the 3/5 Compromise where every 5 slaves counted as 3 people in terms of apportionment for the House of Representatives. Further, the government was given the power to restrict the slave trade. Finally, there was a section where it says that if people held to service or labor (slavery) in one state escape them must not be freed by the laws of another state.

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