As we finish celebrating the 4th of July, it’s worth noting there’s another historical battle being fought, over the American Revolution itself. Some claim the American Revolution was fought over slavery. I examine this argument and find the evidence lacking.

Even for critics who claim the Constitution was a slavery document, I cited sources saying that this document, forged in regional compromise, contained all of the necessary tools to dismantle slavery, as history later demonstrated.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is @JohnTures2.