Early Biblical and Legal Experiences with Chattel Slavery in the Antebellum South

Abstract

The Bible was used as justification for and against slavery, and in doing so helped further the debates that ultimately created the two most important documents in United States history. That the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in their final wording were immensely influenced by slavery should come as no surprise, but the way in which the final drafts were justified and based on arguments centering on the Bible is the focus of this paper, as well as a discussion of the different ways in which the final drafts were interpreted by those who lived at the time.