Which statement most accurately explains why

the institution of slavery was continued under the

original Constitution of the United States?

(1) The early factory system relied on the labor of

slaves.

(2) The majority of American families owned

several slaves.

(3) Slave rebellions made most whites oppose

freedom for African Americans.

(4) Southern states would not agree to a

constitution that banned slavery.

The statement that most accurately explains why the institution of slavery was continued under the original Constitution of the United States was (4) Southern states would not agree to a constitution that banned slavery. The Southern states were vehemently opposed to abolishing slavery, as they believed their livelihood depended on the plantations they owned and were far less industrial than the North. They felt so distant from the North that they even wanted to create their own sovereignty.