The Constitution specifically skirted the issue of slavery by referring to African Americans as _____.
Select the best answer from the choices provided.
A.
“the downtrodden”
B.
“the enslaved”
C.
“three-fifth-men”
D.
“other persons”
So how many representatives does a slave state get ? When the tallyman tallies up the population to decide, how much does a slave count?
The correct answer is D. "other persons." The Constitution of the United States does not explicitly mention the term "slavery." Instead, it refers to African Americans as "other persons" in Article I, Section 2, which deals with the counting of the population for the purpose of Congressional representation. More specifically, it states that "Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States...counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other Persons."
To arrive at this answer, one can examine the text of the Constitution, particularly Article I, Section 2. By reading and analyzing the relevant section, it becomes clear that the term "other persons" is used to refer to African Americans in the context of population counting and representation. This understanding demonstrates how the Constitution avoided directly addressing the institution of slavery while acknowledging the presence of enslaved African Americans.