Which states would have given the strongest approval of Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution?
A.
states with large populations, slave or free
B.
new states added to the United States later on
C.
states with small populations but large territories
D.
states with large populations of Native Americans
I think its A
I do, too.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articlei#section2
To determine which states would have given the strongest approval of Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, we need to analyze the content of the article itself. Article I, Section 2 establishes the method for determining the number of representatives each state will have in the House of Representatives. It specifies that the number of representatives for each state should be based on its population, with a provision for counting three-fifths of the enslaved population for states that allowed slavery.
Given this information, your assertion that states with large populations, slave or free (option A) would have given the strongest approval is correct. States with larger populations would have stood to gain more representatives in the House of Representatives, giving them more influence and political power. Additionally, some states with large populations also had a significant number of enslaved people, and Article I, Section 2 accounted for a portion of the enslaved population in determining representation.
Therefore, states with large populations, regardless of whether they had slaves or were free, would have likely supported Article I, Section 2 as it offered them greater representation and political clout in the newly formed United States government.