Eleanor Finch
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, which formed part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the US Constitution. The compromise allowed slaveholding states to count three-fifths of their enslaved population when apportioning representatives to Congress, which resulted in an inflated number of representatives for Southern states and reinforced the institution of slavery. The Three-Fifths Compromise was superseded and repealed by the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Part of the US Constitution | Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 |
| Year of ratification | 1787 |
| Proposal | Delegate James Wilson, seconded by Charles Pinckney |
| Purpose | To preserve the union and confront the moral and systemic evils of slavery |
| Effect | Slaveholding states were overrepresented in national politics but had a higher federal tax burden |
| Superseded by | Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment (1868) |
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What You'll Learn
- The Three-Fifths Compromise was an attempt to preserve the union
- It was an agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states
- The Compromise was part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution
- It was repealed by the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868
- The Compromise was an interpretation and not a reflection of the Constitution's position
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an attempt to preserve the union
The Three-Fifths Compromise was part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which stated that representatives and direct taxes would be apportioned among the states according to their respective numbers. The number of representatives was to be determined by adding the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding untaxed Native Americans, plus three-fifths of all other persons. This compromise was proposed by delegate James Wilson and seconded by Charles Pinckney.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an imperfect solution to the issue of slavery, which was a moral and systemic evil. It allowed for the preservation of the republic while confronting the evils of slavery. The compromise was later superseded and explicitly repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868.
The Three-Fifths Compromise has been criticised as a racist contract and a constitutional inadequacy. However, it is important to understand the context in which it was created and the attempts to preserve the union. The Northern states and abolitionists could have insisted on omitting the three-fifths clause, which would have implied that slaves were not human. Instead, they agreed to a compromise that reduced the political power of slaveholding states and encouraged freedom over slavery.
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It was an agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The Compromise was an attempt to resolve disagreements over slavery and preserve the unity of the newly formed United States.
The Southern delegates threatened to abandon the convention if enslaved individuals were not counted towards representation. As a compromise, it was agreed that representation in the House of Representatives would be apportioned based on a state's free population plus three-fifths of its enslaved population. This agreement became known as the Three-Fifths Compromise.
The Three-Fifths Compromise is part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution:
> 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 imperfect solution to the issue of slavery, and it had significant implications for the political power of slaveholding states and the representation of enslaved individuals. While it granted slaveholding states the right to count three-fifths of their enslaved population for representation in Congress, it also increased their federal tax burden as the same ratio was used to determine their tax contributions.
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 part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states at the United States Constitutional Convention in 1787. The Compromise was part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the 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 meant that slaveholding states were granted the right to count three-fifths of their enslaved population when it came to apportioning representatives to Congress. This resulted in an overrepresentation of these states in national politics. However, the same three-fifths ratio was used to determine the federal tax contribution required of each state, increasing the direct federal tax burden on slaveholding states.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an attempt to preserve the union and nascent United States while confronting the moral and systemic evils of slavery. It was an imperfect solution that allowed for the preservation of the republic. The compromise was later superseded and explicitly repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868.
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It was repealed by the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention. It concerned the inclusion of slaves in counting a state's total population. This population count was to 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 Three-Fifths Compromise was officially repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868. The Fourteenth Amendment was passed by Congress on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868. It extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people. It also granted citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States," thereby granting citizenship to formerly enslaved people.
The Fourteenth Amendment was part of a Reconstruction program to guarantee equal civil and legal rights to Black citizens. It was a response to issues affecting freed slaves following the Civil War. The amendment was bitterly contested, and the states of the defeated Confederacy were required to ratify it to regain representation in Congress.
Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment superseded Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution, which contained the Three-Fifths Compromise. The new amendment provided that "representatives shall be apportioned... counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed." This meant that the number of representatives was now based on the total population of each state, including slaves, rather than just a fraction of the slave population.
The repeal of the Three-Fifths Compromise was a significant step towards granting equal rights and representation to all citizens, regardless of race or status. It ensured that the political power of slaveholding states was reduced and that the entire population of slaves was counted in determining representation and taxation.
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The Compromise was an interpretation and not a reflection of the Constitution's position
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states at the United States Constitutional Convention in 1787. It was an attempt to resolve the issue of legislative representation and taxation. The Compromise was included in Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the US Constitution, which stated that representation and taxation would be based on the total number of free persons in a state, plus three-fifths of all other persons (enslaved individuals).
The Compromise was an interpretation of the Constitution's position on slavery and representation, rather than a direct reflection of it. This is because the word "slave" or "slavery" does not appear in the clause or anywhere in the unamended Constitution. Instead, the Compromise was a pragmatic solution to the disagreement between the Northern and Southern states regarding the treatment of enslaved individuals in legislative representation and taxation.
The Southern delegates threatened to abandon the convention if enslaved individuals were not counted at all, while the Northern delegates and abolitionists did not want them to be counted for apportionment, which would imply that slaves were not human. The Three-Fifths Compromise was a middle ground that satisfied both parties to some extent. By counting three-fifths of the enslaved population, the Southern states gained some representation for their enslaved individuals, while the Northern states reduced the political power of the slaveholding states by minimizing the percentage of the slave population counted.
Furthermore, the Three-Fifths Compromise can be interpreted as a step towards freedom rather than an endorsement of slavery. Madison, in Federalist No. 54, explained that the Compromise regarded slaves as "inhabitants, but as debased by servitude below the equal level of free inhabitants." He argued that the Compromise did not consider slaves as merely property but acknowledged their dual nature as both persons and property. Additionally, the Compromise increased the direct federal tax burden on slaveholding states, as taxes were now based on population size, including the enslaved population.
In conclusion, while the Three-Fifths Compromise was a part of the Constitution, it was an interpretation and a pragmatic solution to the issue of slavery and representation. The Compromise attempted to balance the interests of the Northern and Southern states while navigating the complex moral and systemic issues surrounding slavery in the nascent United States.
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Frequently asked questions
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. It was part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the US Constitution and stated that representation in the House of Representatives would be apportioned based on a state's free population plus three-fifths of its enslaved population.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was necessary because the delegates from the small and large states were divided on the issue of the apportionment of legislative representation. The compromise was proposed by delegate James Wilson and seconded by Charles Pinckney.
The Three-Fifths Compromise had the impact of increasing the political power of free over slave states. It also increased the direct federal tax burden of slaveholding states. The compromise was later superseded and repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868.
