Which of the following statements is true regarding the debate over slavery at the Constitutional Convention?

Question

The southern states wanted enslaved Africans to count toward their states' population.

The northern states wanted the slave trade to remain open.

The southern states agreed that the slave trade must end immediately.

The northern states agreed that enslaved Africans should fully counted toward a states' population.

Answer 1

The statement that is true regarding the debate over slavery at the Constitutional Convention is:

The southern states wanted enslaved Africans to count toward their states' population.

During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, southern states argued that enslaved individuals should be counted for purposes of representation in Congress, while northern states opposed this idea because enslaved individuals were not considered free people. This debate ultimately led to the Three-Fifths Compromise, which allowed northern and southern states to temporarily resolve the issue by counting each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes.

The other statements are not accurate in the context of the debates at the Convention. Northern states generally wanted the slave trade to end, and southern states did not agree to end the slave trade immediately. Additionally, northern states did not agree that enslaved Africans should be fully counted towards a state's population for representation purposes.