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The Unconstitutionality of SlaveryLysander Spooner

The Unconstitutionality of Slavery

by OpenStories

Original author: Lysander Spooner

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"The Unconstitutionality of Slavery" by Lysander Spooner is an abolitionist essay written in 1845. Challenging both proslavery advocates and fellow abolitionists who believed the Constitution supported slavery, Spooner argues the opposite case. Drawing on natural law, colonial charters, and founding documents, he contends that slavery has no legal basis in America and that Congress must abolish it. His radical constitutional interpretation proved highly influential among political abolitionists, though Spooner's anarchist principles kept him from joining their movements.

The Unconstitutionality of Slavery, by Lysander Spooner. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #31844.

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15 Chapters

  1. 1.Chapter I: What Is Law?7,058 words
  2. 2.Chapter II: Written Constitutions395 words
  3. 3.Chapter III: The Colonial Charters6,020 words
  4. 4.Chapter IV: Colonial Statutes2,075 words
  5. 5.Chapter V: The Declaration of Independence1,174 words
  6. 6.Chapter VI: The State Constitutions of 17894,704 words
  7. 7.Chapter VII: The Articles of Confederation1,233 words
  8. 8.Chapter VIII: The Constitution of the United States (1)8,904 words
  1. 9.Chapter VIII: The Constitution of the United States (2)8,871 words
  2. 10.Chapter VIII: The Constitution of the United States (3)6,538 words
  3. 11.Chapter IX: The Intentions of the Convention3,793 words
  4. 12.Chapter X: The Practice of the Government361 words
  5. 13.Chapter XI: The Understanding of the People756 words
  6. 14.Chapter XII: The State Constitutions of 1845982 words
  7. 15.Chapter XIII: The Children of Slaves Are Born Free1,222 words