... were under the thumb of the North and shifting demographics contributed to this concern. At the turn of the 19th century approximately half of the U.S. population lived in the South. By 1850 that fraction had been reduced to only one third (Harrison). The balance of power in Congress began to tilt and "the South found that its representatives in the House had been overwhelmed by the North's explosive growth" (Harrison). Thus, the slaves became political pawns. The South had an interest in maintaining slavery so that the population of the region would be enhanced, increasing their clout in Congress. If slavery were to be abolished, then a large number of newly freed citizens would likely move out of the hostile South, enabling the North to easily sustain its majority in legislative matters. This issue had its origin as far back as the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where "there were ...

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