Virginia would have the greatest interest in having slaves counted as part of the population for the purposes of representation. States that had larger populations of enslaved people, particularly in the South, were more motivated to have those individuals counted to increase their representation in Congress. This was a significant factor in the debates surrounding the Three-Fifths Compromise during the Constitutional Convention, where enslaved individuals were counted as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of representation and taxation.
Which state would have the greatest interest in having slaves counted as part of the population for the purposes of representation?
• Georgia
• New York
• Virginia
O Maryland
3 answers
So Virginia?
Yes, that's correct. Virginia would have the greatest interest in having slaves counted as part of the population for the purposes of representation. As a Southern state with a large enslaved population, Virginia sought to increase its political power in Congress by counting enslaved individuals in the population totals, thus benefiting from greater representation.
1 answer