Panel 2 is done!

The section stitched in blue is the infamous “three-fifths” clause (I stitched it in blue to indicate that this text was superseded by later amendment, in this case the 14th amendment). According to Ray Raphael in his small book "The U.S. Constitution Explained--Clause by Clause--for Every American Today" (Vintage Books, 2016, 2017):

"Here is the Constitution's seamy underbelly. Southern delegates wanted to count the people whom they enslaved in the determination of how many representatives they had in Congress. 'The labour of a slave in S. Carolina' was 'as productive as that of a freeman in Massachusetts,' observed Pierce Butler of South Carolina. But Pennsylvania's Gouverneur Morris countered: "Upon what principle is it that the slaves shall be computed in the representation? Are they men? Then make them citizens and let them vote. Are they property? Why then is no other property included?'“

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention eventually compromised on the three-fifths fraction, establishing that a slave was equal to three-fifths of a person. This remained in the Constitution until 1868, when the 14th Amendment declared instead that representation would be determined by "counting the whole number of persons in each State" provided they had the right to vote, meaning that Southern states' apportionment of representation in Congress could only be determined by counting people--white or black--if those people could vote.

It's worth noting that Native Americans--"Indians"--were excluded from being counted both in this clause and in the 14th Amendment. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 finally granted them the right to vote in 1924 (though they still face many impediments to voting today). And women aren't even mentioned! They weren't granted suffrage until the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920.

And, of course, last week was the 4th of July. Not long after I conceived of the Stand Up: Democracy in Stitches project, I realized that I simply had to have a tent at my little town’s annual July 4th celebrations on our town green, or Common. It’s about as small-town-Vermont as you can get: kids’ outdoor games, hot dogs, ice cream, local vendors, the town band playing in the gazebo, and a parade featuring area fire and rescue vehicles, tractors, classic cars, floats for the town library and scout troops (both featuring kids throwing candy to the crowd of spectators), and led by two flag-carrying riders and horses, and a donkey. The parade circles the Common not once but twice.

I threw together a banner, found some patriotic table coverings, dug out my old craft show tent, and set up shop. I hung the two completed Constitution panels and the four STAND UP pieces I had made, and prepped the next panel so that I could stitch the Constitution while I talked to folks about the Democracy in Stitches project. I also brought paper, markers, and crayons, and invited people to make little STAND UP pieces on the spot, which I immediately hung next to my stitched pieces.

I had many good conversations with the folks who stopped by my tent. Many were really happy to see my project, and I handed out lots of informational fliers about STAND UP. Fingers crossed now that some of those people will participate and send me photos of their Democracy in Stitches pieces!