SUmmary While the delegates were drafting the Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention many conflicts arose. Among these conflicts, were representation and taxation numbers. The southern states wanted more representation in the House of Congress. In order to gain more representation in the House southern states need a higher population. SInce the south had many more slaves than the north due to their large plantations, they wanted slaves to count as a full person when it came to representation. Allowing the slaves to count as a full person for representation would also allow the slave owners to have more influence. The slave owners were able to vote for their slaves, giving the slave owners more votes.
However, the northern states argued that if the south was going to count each slave as one person they would be taxed as such also. Since the southern states did not want to pay higher taxes for their slaves the Three-Fifths Compromise was erected. The Compromise stated that all "other" non-free persons would count as three-fifths of a person towards representation and taxation. The compromise was put into law when the Constitution was adopted on September 12, 1787. To read the transcript of the Constitution referring to the Three-fifths Compromise click HERE and read Article 1 Section 2 |
Sectionalism The Three-Fifths Compromise is an example of sectionalism in American history. The Compromise demonstrates group (white land owners) looking down upon another group (black slaves) as through they are lesser. The Three-Fifths Compromise degrades a whole group of people categorizing them as less than human. Essentially, the majority of America during this time period is justifying slavery and the classification of unfree men and women as pieces of property.
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