Why did the Three-Fifths Compromise pass?

a.Southern states wanted enslaved people to be counted for representation in Congress, but the North wanted to limit it

b.Northern states wanted enslaved people to be counted for representation in Congress, but the South wanted to limit it

c.Northern states wanted all enslaved people to be counted for representation in Congress

d.Southern states wanted enslaved people to not be counted for representation in Congress

1 answer

The correct answer is:

a. Southern states wanted enslaved people to be counted for representation in Congress, but the North wanted to limit it.

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a deal struck at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 that determined how enslaved people would be counted for purposes of representation and taxation. Southern states, which had large populations of enslaved people, wanted them to be counted fully for representation in Congress to increase their political power. However, Northern states, where slavery was less prevalent, opposed this as they felt it would give the South an undue advantage. The compromise established that three-fifths of enslaved individuals would be counted for representation purposes.