Isabella Carter
The Three-Fifths Compromise, also known as the Constitutional Compromise of 1787, was an agreement reached during the United States Constitutional Convention over the inclusion of slaves in counting a state's total population. This 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 Southern states wanted to count the entire slave population, while the Northern states did not want them to be counted at all. As a compromise, it was agreed that three-fifths of each state's slave population would be counted as part of the state's total population, effectively giving the Southern states more power in the House relative to the North.
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What You'll Learn
The Three-Fifths Compromise
The Southern states wanted to count the entire slave population, which would increase their number of members of Congress. The Northern states did not want slaves to be counted at all, considering slaves as property and arguing that they had no voting rights. The Southern delegates threatened to abandon the convention if enslaved individuals were not counted.
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Counting slaves as three-fifths for representation in Congress
The Three-Fifths Compromise, also known as the Constitutional Compromise of 1787, was an agreement reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention. This compromise addressed the issue of including slaves in counting a state's total population, which would then 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 Southern states, where slavery was legal and common, wanted to count the entire slave population, which would increase their number of members of Congress. On the other hand, the Northern states, opposed to slavery, wanted to count only free persons, including free blacks in the North and South. The Southern delegates threatened to abandon the convention if enslaved individuals were not counted at all.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was struck to resolve this impasse. It counted three-fifths of each state's slave population toward that state's total population for the purpose of apportioning the House of Representatives. This gave the Southern states more power in the House relative to the North, as they were perpetually overrepresented in national politics. However, this compromise also tied representation to taxation in the same ratio, reducing the tax burden on the slave states.
It is important to note that the Three-Fifths Compromise did not relegate slaves to "three-fifths of a person" status. Instead, it was a compromise between counting slaves as full persons, as the Southern states wanted, and not counting them at all, as the Northern states proposed. The compromise acknowledged that slaves were persons, but also recognized their legal status as "property."
The Three-Fifths Compromise was later superseded and explicitly repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, which provided for representatives to be apportioned by counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding untaxed Indigenous people.
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Counting slaves as three-fifths for determining taxation
The Three-Fifths Compromise, also known as the Constitutional Compromise of 1787, was an agreement reached during the United States Constitutional Convention regarding the inclusion of slaves in counting a state's total population. This total population count was used to determine the number of seats in the House of Representatives, the number of electoral votes each state received, and the amount of money states paid in taxes.
The Southern states wanted to count the entire slave population, which would increase their number of members in Congress. On the other hand, the Northern states did not want slaves to be counted at all, as they had no voting rights. This disagreement led to a contentious debate, and the Three-Fifths Compromise was the resolution. The Compromise counted three-fifths of each state's slave population towards its total population for the purpose of apportionment in the House of Representatives, giving Southern states more representation relative to the North.
This compromise also had implications for taxation, as representation and taxation were tied together. By including three-fifths of slaves in the legislative apportionment, the tax burden on slaveholding states was reduced compared to if all slaves had been counted. This was an inducement for slave states to accept the Compromise, as it granted them enlarged powers in Southern legislatures.
It is important to note that the Three-Fifths Compromise did not relegate slaves to "three-fifths of a person" status. The Constitution stated that "Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States...according to their respective Numbers," which included "three-fifths of all other Persons" besides free persons. The “other Persons” referred to slaves, and this compromise was an attempt to balance the interests of slave and free states, preserving the unity of the nation while confronting the evils of slavery.
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The impact of the Three-Fifths Compromise on slaveholding states
The Three-Fifths Compromise, also known as the Constitutional Compromise of 1787, was an agreement reached during the United States Constitutional Convention over the inclusion of slaves in counting a state's total population. The compromise counted three-fifths of each state's slave population towards that state's total population for the purpose of apportioning the House of Representatives. This effectively gave the Southern states more power in the House relative to the Northern states.
Secondly, the Three-Fifths Compromise gave slaveholders enlarged powers in Southern legislatures. This was an issue in the secession of West Virginia from Virginia in 1863. The compromise also reduced the burden of taxation on slaveholding states, as taxation was tied to representation.
It is important to note that the Three-Fifths Compromise did not relegate slaves to three-fifths of a person status. Instead, it was a compromise over the inclusion of slaves in counting a state's total population for representation and taxation purposes. The Southern states wanted to count the entire slave population to increase their representation in Congress, while the Northern states did not want slaves to be counted at all. The compromise reduced the representation of the slave states relative to the original proposals but improved it over the Northern position.
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The Fourteenth Amendment's repeal of the Three-Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention. It was an attempt to resolve the issue of how to include slaves in counting 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 Southern states, where slavery was legal, wanted their entire population to be considered when determining the number of Representatives they could send to Congress. On the other hand, the Northern free states wanted to exclude the slave population from the count since slaves had no voting rights. The Three-Fifths Compromise was a temporary solution, counting three out of every five slaves as part of the total population. This reduced the Southern states' representation in the House of Representatives compared to the free states.
The Fourteenth Amendment, passed in 1868 after the Union's victory in the Civil War, explicitly repealed the Three-Fifths Compromise. Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment required that seats in the House of Representatives be apportioned based on the "whole number of persons" in each state, including newly freed people as "full persons" in the Census. This amendment also included language to reduce congressional representation for states that prevented eligible voters from voting.
The repeal of the Three-Fifths Compromise was a significant step towards addressing the societal injustices and inequalities faced by enslaved people in the United States. It challenged the notion that enslaved people lacked full personhood and ensured that all individuals were counted equally in the Census, regardless of their race or legal status.
However, it is important to note that the repeal of the Three-Fifths Compromise did not immediately eradicate all forms of discrimination and voter suppression tactics. The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s continued to address these issues, resulting in the passage of federal statutes and constitutional amendments that further protected the rights of all citizens.
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Frequently asked questions
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention over the inclusion of slaves when counting a state's total population.
Counting slaves as part of the population would increase the number of members of Congress and representatives in the House of Representatives from the Southern states.
The Northern states did not want slaves to be counted at all since they had no voting rights. Counting slaves would also increase the federal tax contribution required of each state.
The Three-Fifths 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. This gave the Southern states more power in the House relative to the North, but less than they would have had if all slaves were counted.
Yes, in 1868, Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment superseded Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 and explicitly repealed the Three-Fifths Compromise.
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