Why would southern delegates to the Constitutional Convention have opposed the Three-Fifths Compromise?
Responses
A They feared that the President would eventually become "king" in the United States.They feared that the President would eventually become "king" in the United States.
B They believed it would be insufficient in protecting the United States from invasion.They believed it would be insufficient in protecting the United States from invasion.
C They opposed the creation of a Congress that would give states an equal number of Senators.They opposed the creation of a Congress that would give states an equal number of Senators.
D They feared industrial states with a larger populations should have more representation in Congress.They feared industrial states with a larger populations should have more representation in Congress.
E They wanted their full population of slaves to be counted for purposed of Congressional representation
E They wanted their full population of slaves to be counted for purposes of Congressional representation
E They wanted their full population of slaves to be counted for purposes of Congressional representation.
The correct answer is E - They wanted their full population of slaves to be counted for purposes of Congressional representation.
To understand why southern delegates to the Constitutional Convention opposed the Three-Fifths Compromise, we need to understand what the Three-Fifths Compromise was. The Three-Fifths Compromise, introduced during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, determined how slaves would be counted for the purpose of determining a state's representation in the House of Representatives.
Under this compromise, each slave was counted as three-fifths of a person when calculating a state's population for representation. This was done to address the issue of representation and taxation in southern states where slavery was prevalent. By counting slaves as a fraction of the population, it gave greater political power to the southern states that had a significant slave population.
The southern delegates, who represented states with large enslaved populations, wanted their full population of slaves to be counted for the purpose of Congressional representation. They believed that their economic and political interests were tied to having more representation in Congress, which would allow them to have a stronger voice and influence over national policies.
Therefore, the southern delegates opposed the Three-Fifths Compromise because they felt that counting slaves as only three-fifths of a person would diminish their political power and give an advantage to states with smaller slave populations. They wanted their full slave population to be counted to maximize their representation and influence in Congress.