The Great Compromise: 3/5 Clause Explained

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a clause in the US Constitution, ratified in 1790, that declared that three-fifths of the slave population in a state would count for determining representation in Congress and direct taxation. The compromise was made between Northern and Southern delegates, with the former arguing that slaves should not be counted as they were property, and the latter arguing that representation was based on population. The Three-Fifths Compromise thus allowed Southern slaveholding states to gain more influence in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. The compromise was officially repealed in 1868 with the passing of the Fourteenth Amendment, but it remains a critical reminder of how biases can skew population counts and how even objective measures can be warped by the dominant culture's prejudices.

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The Three-Fifths Compromise was an attempt to preserve the union of the United States

The Three-Fifths Compromise, proposed by James Wilson of Pennsylvania, was a compromise that allowed Southern slaveholding states to count three-fifths of their slave population for representation purposes. This compromise was written into Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution and ratified in 1790. It gave Southern states more influence in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College.

The Compromise was an attempt to balance the conflicting views of the Northern and Southern delegates and preserve the union of the United States. It was a concession to the Southern states, who sought to maximise their representation in Congress without granting any rights to the enslaved people they considered their property. The Northern delegates, despite their ethical opposition to slavery, conceded to this compromise to prevent the Convention from derailing and to create a functional form of government.

The Three-Fifths Compromise had significant legal and political implications. It legally codified enslaved Black people as less than human, creating a unique political status that dehumanised the majority of Black people in the U.S. and justified countless discriminatory policies, such as the Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme Court decision. The Compromise also skewed population counts, impacting the distribution of legislative seats and influencing political power dynamics.

While the Three-Fifths Compromise was officially repealed with the passing of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, it serves as a reminder of how biases can distort seemingly objective measures like population counts. It also highlights the complex dynamics and compromises made during the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, reflecting the influence of white supremacist ideologies at the time.

The Compromise was an agreement between Northern and Southern states

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a clause in the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1790, that was an agreement between Northern and Southern states. It declared that three-fifths of the slave population in a state would be considered when determining representation in Congress and direct taxation. This compromise was proposed by James Madison and James Wilson of Pennsylvania during the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

The Compromise was an attempt to resolve the conflicting views of Northern and Southern delegates regarding the status of enslaved people. Northern delegates argued that if slaves were considered property, then other types of property should also be taken into account. They also believed that if slaves were considered men, they should be granted citizenship and the right to vote. On the other hand, Southern delegates, who represented slave-holding states, argued that representation should be based on population, and therefore, each slave should be counted as a full person.

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a concession made by the Northern states, as it allowed Southern states to count three-fifths of their slave population for purposes of representation. This gave the Southern states more power in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. The Compromise was written into Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, and it legally codified enslaved Black people as less than human, creating a unique political status that dehumanized the majority of Black people in the U.S.

While the Three-Fifths Compromise was officially repealed with the passing of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, its legacy remains significant. It serves as a reminder of how biases and prejudices can influence even seemingly objective measures such as population counts. The Compromise also had lasting political consequences, shaping the outcome of events and contributing to the creation of discriminatory policies, such as the Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme Court decision, which ruled that Black people were not legally entitled to U.S. citizenship, regardless of their enslaved or free status.

It counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation in the House of Representatives

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a clause of the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1790, that counted enslaved Black people as three-fifths of a person for representation in the House of Representatives. This compromise was proposed by James Madison and James Wilson of Pennsylvania to settle the disagreements between Northern and Southern delegates over slavery during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Southern delegates, who were slaveholders, argued that representation was based on population, and so each slave should be considered a full person. On the other hand, Northern delegates argued that if slaves were considered property, then no other types of property were being considered, and if they were people, they should be citizens with the right to vote.

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a concession to the Southern slaveholding states, allowing them to count three-fifths of their slave population for representation in Congress and direct taxation. This gave them more influence in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. The compromise was written into Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which states that "Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among several States...which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons...three-fifths of all other Persons". This clause had the legal effect of codifying enslaved Black people as less than human under federal law, creating a unique political status that dehumanized the majority of Black people in the U.S. and justified countless discriminatory policies, such as the Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme Court decision, which ruled that Black people were not legally entitled to U.S. citizenship.

The Three-Fifths Compromise was officially repealed with the passing of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868. However, its legacy remains important today as a reminder of how even seemingly objective measures, such as population counts, can be distorted by the dominant culture's prejudices. Additionally, the lessons of the Three-Fifths Compromise are critical when considering how populations are counted and how this information is used politically to create a more equitable future.

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This resulted in slaveholding states being overrepresented in national politics

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a clause in the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1790, that declared that three-fifths of the slave population in a state would count for determining representation in Congress and direct taxation. This compromise was reached between Northern and Southern delegates, with Southern slaveholding states wanting slaves to be considered as full people for representation purposes, and Northern delegates arguing that slaves, as property, should not be counted at all.

The Compromise resulted in slaveholding states being overrepresented in national politics. This is because the Compromise allowed Southern states to count three-fifths of their slave population for representation, giving them more influence in the House of Representatives and Electoral College. This meant that slaveholding states had more seats in Congress than they would have if only their free population had been counted.

The Three-Fifths Compromise was proposed by James Madison and later James Wilson of Pennsylvania, and it was written into Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution. The Compromise was accepted as it was seen as a necessary step towards creating a functional form of government, despite the ethical opposition to slavery held by many delegates.

The legal and political consequences of the Three-Fifths Compromise were significant. It legally codified enslaved Black people as less than human, creating a unique political status that justified countless discriminatory policies, such as Dred Scott v. Sanford, which ruled that Black people were not entitled to U.S. citizenship. The Compromise also shifted the balance of power between Northern and Southern states, with Southern states gaining more representation in Congress.

The Compromise was repealed by the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868

The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention over the inclusion of slaves in a state's total population. The count would determine the number of seats in the House of Representatives, the number of electoral votes each state would be allocated, and how much money the states would pay in taxes. The Compromise counted three-fifths of each state's slave population toward that state's total population for the purpose of apportioning the House of Representatives.

The Three-Fifths Compromise was officially repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868. This amendment superseded Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3, and explicitly revoked the Three-Fifths Compromise. The Fourteenth Amendment provided that "representatives shall be apportioned ... counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed." This meant that slaves were now considered full persons under the law, and their legal standing was no longer tied to their voter status.

The repeal of the Three-Fifths Compromise was a significant moment in American history, as it officially recognized slaves as people under the law and granted them a form of legal personhood. While this did not immediately grant them full legal rights or citizenship, it was a crucial step towards the eventual abolition of slavery and the recognition of the equal rights of all people, regardless of race or legal status.

The Three-Fifths Compromise had been a contentious issue since its inception, with some arguing that it implied that enslaved people lacked full personhood. The Compromise was a practical solution to an impasse during the Constitutional Convention, but it also had profound implications for the legal and moral status of enslaved people. The repeal of the Compromise was a recognition that the Constitution must protect the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of their legal status.

While the Fourteenth Amendment repealed the Three-Fifths Compromise, it is important to note that it did not immediately grant voting rights to all formerly enslaved people. The fight for voting rights and full citizenship for African Americans continued well after the repeal of the Three-Fifths Compromise, and it was not until the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment that African American men were guaranteed the right to vote.

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