How did the Three-Fifths Compromise effect representation in Congress?
Every five slaves were counted as three free men toward the state's population.
Small states had three-fifths of the representatives of larger states.
Every three slaves were counted as five free men toward the state's population.
New representatives were chosen every three to five years.
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The Three-Fifths Compromise had a significant impact on representation in Congress. This compromise was made during the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and it determined that each slave would be counted as three-fifths of a person when determining a state's population for the purposes of representation in Congress. This meant that slave states, which had a larger population due to their slave populations, gained more representation in Congress. The effect was that Southern states had a greater number of representatives in the House of Representatives and a greater influence in national politics. Ultimately, the Three-Fifths Compromise contributed to the perpetuation of slavery in the United States and was a key factor in the tensions leading to the Civil War.
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