Slavery existed in all of the 13 original colonies.Back then instead of using the word slaves they would use the term "unfree persons". The fugitive slave clause stated that no person held to service or labor was allowed to escape. Many abolitionist used the 5th amendment to argue against slavery, but did not succeed because slaves were not labeled as people they were labeled as "property". Slavery was supported in law and practice by a culture name white supremacy. Between 1777 and 1804, every northern state had agreed to abolish slavery in the united states. Since the south was where farming and the production of food the slavery population in the south continued to grow, peaking at almost 4 million slaves in the Southern United states.
An abolitionist movement headed by such figures as William Lloyd Garrison grew in strength in the North, calling for the end of slavery nationwide and exacerbating tensions between North and South. In 1836, theUnited States House of Representatives instituted a gag rule against abolitionist petitions and speeches, attempting to stifle John Quincy Adams and other abolitionist congressmen.