Until what year could Congress not prohibit the importation of slaves, according to the Constitution?

The correct response is 1808 because the United States Constitution explicitly allowed the importation of enslaved people to continue until this year. Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution states that Congress could not prohibit the importation of such persons before 1808. This provision was a compromise between northern and southern states during the Constitutional Convention, reflecting the contentious nature of slavery in that era.

The year 1808 marks the point at which Congress was permitted to lawfully ban the importation of slaves. Following this year, Congress passed legislation that effectively ended the transatlantic slave trade, thereby setting the stage for subsequent issues surrounding slavery and its expansion in the United States. Understanding this timeline is essential for grasping the evolution of slavery and its legal context in America.