Omar Bennett
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement made by the framers of the US Constitution in 1787, which stated that three-fifths of each state's slave population would be counted when it came to apportioning representatives to Congress and determining federal tax contributions. This compromise was an attempt to preserve the union and confront the moral and systemic evils of slavery. The Three-Fifths Compromise was part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the US Constitution, and it was superseded and repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868.
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What You'll Learn
- The Three-Fifths Compromise was part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the US Constitution
- The compromise was reached in 1787, after a contentious debate between Northern and Southern states
- The compromise counted all other persons as three-fifths of their actual numbers, reducing the representation of slave states
- The Southern states wanted slaves to count as a full person, while the Northern states did not want them to count at all
- The compromise was later superseded and repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868
The Three-Fifths Compromise was part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the US Constitution
The Three-Fifths Compromise was indeed part of the US Constitution, specifically Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3. This clause, also known as the Compromise Clause, stated that representation in the House of Representatives would be apportioned according to the states' respective numbers, which included "all other Persons" as only three-fifths of their actual numbers.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a result of the contentious debate during the 1787 Constitutional Convention regarding slavery and its place in the new nation. The Southern states wanted slaves to be considered as full persons when it came to representation, while the Northern states argued that slaves should not be counted at all. The compromise reduced the representation of the slave states relative to the original proposals from the South, but it was still an improvement over the North's position.
The Three-Fifths Compromise also tied representation to taxation, meaning that the burden of taxation on the slave states was reduced as well. It's important to note that the words "slave" and "slavery" do not appear in this clause or anywhere in the unamended Constitution. Instead, the clause refers to "all other Persons" and "persons bound to Service for a Term of Years".
The Three-Fifths Compromise was later superseded and explicitly repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868. Despite its repeal, the Compromise remains a significant part of American history, illustrating the challenges faced by the founding fathers in forming a union and preserving the nation while confronting the evils of slavery.
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The compromise was reached in 1787, after a contentious debate between Northern and Southern states
The Three-Fifths Compromise was indeed part of the US Constitution, specifically Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3. It was reached in 1787 after a contentious debate between Northern and Southern states during the Constitutional Convention. The debate centred on whether slaves would be counted as part of the population or considered property. The Southern states wanted slaves to be considered people, while the Northern states did not want them to be counted at all. The compromise that was agreed upon counted "all other persons" as three-fifths of their actual numbers, which reduced the representation of the slave states relative to the original proposals but improved it over the Northern position.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an attempt to balance the interests of the Northern and Southern states and preserve the unity of the newly formed United States. It was a compromise between the Virginia, or large state, plan, which provided for a bicameral legislature with representation based on population or wealth, and the New Jersey, or small state, plan, which proposed equal representation for each state in Congress. The deadlock was resolved by the Connecticut, or Great, Compromise, which established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation of the states in the upper house.
The Three-Fifths Compromise had significant implications for representation and taxation. By counting slaves as three-fifths of their actual numbers, the compromise reduced the representation of the slave-holding Southern states in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. However, it also tied taxation to the same ratio, reducing the tax burden on the slave states. This compromise also perpetuated the overrepresentation of slave states in national politics and reinforced the institution of slavery.
The Three-Fifths Compromise has been criticised as a moral flaw in the Constitution and a racist contract. However, some argue that it was a necessary compromise to preserve the union and confront the evils of slavery. The compromise did not explicitly mention slavery or slaves, and it is important to note that it did not forbid a coloured man to vote. The Fourteenth Amendment, passed in 1868, later superseded the Three-Fifths Compromise and explicitly repealed it.
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The compromise counted all other persons as three-fifths of their actual numbers, reducing the representation of slave states
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. The Southern states wanted slaves to be counted as full persons, whereas the Northern states did not want them to be counted at all. The compromise counted all other persons as three-fifths of their actual numbers, reducing the representation of slave states relative to the original proposals, but improving it over the Northern position. This compromise was incorporated into the US Constitution as part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3, which states:
> Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an attempt to balance the conflicting interests of the Northern and Southern states and to preserve the unity of the nascent United States. It was a contentious issue, with some arguing that it perpetuated slavery and others arguing that it encouraged freedom. The compromise also tied representation to taxation, reducing the burden on slave states.
The Three-Fifths Compromise has been criticised as a racist contract and a constitutional inadequacy. However, others argue that it was a necessary compromise to preserve the union and confront the moral and systemic evils of slavery. The Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 superseded this clause and explicitly repealed the compromise.
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The Southern states wanted slaves to count as a full person, while the Northern states did not want them to count at all
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. The Southern states wanted slaves to be considered as full people when it came to political representation, while the Northern states did not want slaves to be considered at all. The Southern delegates threatened to abandon the convention if their demands were not met, which would have jeopardized the formation of a union and the preservation of the nascent United States.
The compromise that was reached, known as the Three-Fifths Compromise, stated that "all other persons" would be counted as three-fifths of their actual numbers when it came to representation in the House of Representatives and taxation. This meant that each slave would be counted as three-fifths of a person, rather than a full person or not at all. The Southern states benefited from this compromise as it reinforced the institution of slavery and gave them greater political power. The Northern states also gained relative to their original proposal, as the representation of the slave states was reduced.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which stated:
> Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.
This compromise was an imperfect solution to the contentious issue of slavery, and it has been criticized as a racist contract. However, it is important to note that the framers of the Constitution were attempting to balance the eradication of slavery with the preservation of unity in the country. The Three-Fifths Compromise was later superseded and explicitly repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868.
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The compromise was later superseded and repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868
The Three-Fifths Compromise was indeed part of the US Constitution. It was an agreement reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention over the inclusion of slaves in a state's total population. The Southern states wanted each slave to count as a full person, whereas the Northern states did not want them to count at all. 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 part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the US Constitution. However, this clause was later superseded and repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868. The Fourteenth Amendment, passed by Congress on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868, extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people. It was one of the Reconstruction Amendments, addressing citizenship rights and equal protection under the law at all levels of government.
Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment superseded the Three-Fifths Compromise by apportioning the House of Representatives and Electoral College using each state's adult male population. This section also approved felony disenfranchisement, allowing states to abridge voting rights "for participation in rebellion, or other crime." The Fourteenth Amendment as a whole was a response to issues affecting freed slaves following the American Civil War, and it is considered one of the most consequential amendments to the Constitution.
The repeal of the Three-Fifths Compromise was part of a broader effort to confront the moral and systemic evils of slavery and to extend equal rights and protections to all citizens, regardless of race or status. The Fourteenth Amendment's first section includes the Citizenship Clause, Privileges or Immunities Clause, Due Process Clause, and Equal Protection Clause, all of which work together to guarantee the rights and liberties of all citizens, including those who had been previously enslaved.
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Frequently asked questions
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. The compromise allowed the Southern states to count three-fifths of their enslaved population when apportioning representatives to Congress, in exchange for a reduction in their tax burden.
The Compromise was necessary to resolve a deadlock between the Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery. The Southern states wanted slaves to be considered as full persons for the purposes of representation, while the Northern states did not want them to be counted at all.
Yes, the Three-Fifths Compromise was included in the US Constitution as part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3.
Yes, the Three-Fifths Compromise was superseded and explicitly repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868.
