Slavery had been a deeply dividing issue since the birth of the nation
At the Constitutional Convention (1787), it was a major point of contention over state representation in Congress
Slave states argued that their slaves should count toward their population when calculating representation in Congress
Free states argued that slaves were not afforded citizenship rights and therefore should not be allowed to count toward a state’s population size
Eventually, the Convention passed the Three-Fifths Compromise, which declared that slaves would count as 3/5 a person when counted toward a state’s population size
The Convention also allowed states to choose for themselves whether slavery was permitted in their territories
1. Why did these states not want slaves counted toward state population size?
2. Why did these states want slaves counted toward state population size?
1. Free states did not want slaves counted toward state population size because slaves were not considered citizens and did not have any representation or rights within the government. They believed that including slaves in a state's population size would unfairly increase the representation and power of slave states in Congress.
2. Slave states wanted slaves counted toward state population size because it would increase their representation and power in Congress. By including slaves in the state's population count, slave states would receive greater representation, which could potentially allow them to better protect and expand the institution of slavery.