Which compromise over slavery did delegates agree upon during the Constitutional Convention?

Which compromise over slavery did delegates agree upon during the Constitutional Convention?

• A. Great Compromise
• B. Slave Trade Compromise
• C. Three-Fifths Compromise
• D. Northern Clause

Answer: (C)

During the Constitutional Convention, delegates debated how enslaved people should be counted for representation in Congress. The solution was the Three-Fifths Compromise: enslaved people would be counted as three-fifths of a person for determining representation in the House and for taxation. This arrangement gave Southern states more political influence than if enslaved people hadn’t been counted at all, but less than if they were counted as full persons. It did not address abolition, and at the same convention another agreement allowed the slave trade to continue for twenty more years. The Three-Fifths Compromise helped shape the early balance of power in the new government.

During the Constitutional Convention, delegates debated how enslaved people should be counted for representation in Congress. The solution was the Three-Fifths Compromise: enslaved people would be counted as three-fifths of a person for determining representation in the House and for taxation. This arrangement gave Southern states more political influence than if enslaved people hadn’t been counted at all, but less than if they were counted as full persons. It did not address abolition, and at the same convention another agreement allowed the slave trade to continue for twenty more years. The Three-Fifths Compromise helped shape the early balance of power in the new government.