The Three-Fifths Compromise concerned representation based on which of the following groups
The Three-Fifths Compromise concerned representation based on enslaved African Americans.
The Three-Fifths Compromise concerned representation based on enslaved individuals.
The Three-Fifths Compromise concerned representation based on enslaved individuals in the United States.
To understand the reasoning behind the Three-Fifths Compromise, we need to delve into the historical context of the United States. During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, one of the contentious issues that needed resolution was the question of how enslaved individuals should be counted when determining a state's population for the purposes of representation in Congress.
The Northern states, which had abolished or were in the process of abolishing slavery, argued that enslaved individuals should not be counted at all because they were not considered citizens and should not have political representation. On the other hand, the Southern states, which heavily relied on enslaved labor and had larger populations as a result, wanted to count enslaved individuals in order to gain more representation in Congress.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was eventually reached as a way to appease both sides. It stated that for the purpose of apportioning representation and taxation, enslaved individuals would be counted as three-fifths of a person. This compromise effectively acknowledged the existence of slavery and sought to strike a balance between the interests of the North and the South.
While the Three-Fifths Compromise was eventually repealed by the 14th Amendment in 1868 following the end of the Civil War, it stands as an important reminder of the deeply entrenched issue of slavery in the early years of the United States.