Three-Fifths Compromise

Kevin Dehn

• The Federal government was setting up the house of representatives and needed to make fair representation between all states.

• The southern states with slaves had much bigger populations than the north.

• If each slave was counted as one the south would have to much representation, but if slaves did not count as a person than the north would have the advantage.

The Problem

The Compromise

• The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise between Southern and Northern states reached during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787.

• The agreement was three-fifths of the total population of slaves would be counted for representation regarding taxes and the number of the members in United States House of Representatives.

• It was proposed by delegates James Wilson and Roger Sherman.

United States Constitution Article One, Section 2, Paragraph Three

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. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

*Note to Students* DO NOT STUDY

The Three Fifth Compromiseand The Constitution

• The Three Fifth Compromise was put into the Constitution to show how each state is given representation.

• When the Constitution was drafted slaves were only 3/5ths of a person.

• In the section of the Constitution where the compromise was written it states that Indians are excluded because they do not pay taxes.

• Free Africans generally did not live in the south due to laws, but did count in the population counts. (But could not vote)