Analyze the Three-fifths Compromise. Which state would be hurt the worst in terms of distribution of power of enslaved people were not counted toward population at least 60 percent?
New York
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Rhode Island
If enslaved people were not counted toward population at least 60 percent, the state that would be hurt the worst in terms of distribution of power would be Maryland.
The Three-fifths Compromise, established during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, determined how enslaved individuals would be counted towards a state's population when apportioning seats in the House of Representatives and in calculating direct taxes. According to this compromise, each enslaved individual would be counted as three-fifths of a person.
In terms of distribution of power, counting enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person benefited states with a higher population of enslaved people, as it provided them with additional representation in Congress. Maryland had a significant population of enslaved individuals, and this compromise allowed them to have more representation in the House of Representatives and a stronger voice in national matters.
If enslaved people were not counted towards the population at least 60 percent, Maryland would lose a significant portion of its representation in Congress and consequently, its influence over national policies. This would diminish the state's power and potentially weaken its ability to advocate for its interests.
On the other hand, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island had smaller populations of enslaved people compared to Maryland. While they would also be affected by the exclusion of enslaved individuals from the population count, their overall representation and power would not suffer as much as that of Maryland.