Which of the following statements is accurate regarding the Three-Fifths Compromise and the issue of slavery?

Question

(1 point)
• The compromise guaranteed that a person who escaped slavery could not be returned to an owner.
• The compromise banned slavery only in Southern states.
• The compromise outlined how slavery would be abolished over the next 20 years.
• The compromise allowed the slave trade to continue for the next 20 years.

Answer 1

The accurate statement regarding the Three-Fifths Compromise and the issue of slavery is:

• The compromise allowed the slave trade to continue for the next 20 years.

The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement made during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that determined how slaves would be counted for purposes of taxation and representation in Congress. It stated that five slaves would be counted as three persons. However, the compromise itself did not address the abolition of slavery or the treatment of escaped slaves; those issues were addressed in other parts of the Constitution or in subsequent legislation. The slave trade was allowed to continue until 1808 due to a provision in the Constitution, which is why the statement regarding the slave trade is accurate.