Critique the following constitutional provision protecting the property of slave owners. What would be an advantage of this policy?
“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”
(1 point)
Responses
The national government assesses taxation on an equal basis, regardless of state population size.
States retain the power to decide what taxes will be paid to the federal government, thus increasing state autonomy.
Identifying enslaved people as property ensures that Southern slave states remain part of the Union.
Taxes are divided on an equal basis regardless of race, ensuring taxation is fair.
The provision mentioned here is known as the Three-Fifths Compromise and was included in the Constitution to determine how enslaved people would be counted for the purposes of apportioning representation and taxation. Overall, this provision can be seen as a disadvantageous and controversial policy.
However, one potential advantage of this policy is that it helped to maintain unity and prevent the secession of Southern slave states from the Union. By counting three-fifths of the enslaved population, it provided these states with a larger share of representation and therefore influence in Congress. This compromise was crucial in balancing the interests of the Northern and Southern states and maintaining a sense of unity among the newly formed United States.