The 3/5 Compromise by Steve Hickey, revised 5/10/98

Related historical timeline created with Timeliner (Nobles grad, Tom Snyder)

The issue of slavery at the end of the eighteenth century was rapidly becoming divisive between the North and the South. In order to deal with this smoldering issue, the 3/5 Compromise was proposed as an addition to the Constitution by James Wilson as a way of persuading the South to ratify the Constitution. The idea that a state's representation in the government should be determined by the population of the state was an issue that was brought up by Northern representatives. Recognizing that the less populated southern states would be concerned with this, it was determined that the South would probably only accept the Constitution if the slaves in their states counted towards the population of their state. The results written in the Constitution are summarized in Article I, section 2, and Article IV,section 2.
For representation and taxation, there was the "3/5th compromise". This compromise was widely misunderstood by the public. Many people think that it was that Blacks were considered to be 3/5th human, which is not at all true. The decision was solely for the purpose of taxation and representation. Since it was decided that slaves would be counted in the census for the purpose of taxation, Southerners wanted their slaves counted in the opportunity of representation also. Northerners felt that counting the slaves for the number of state members to the House of Representatives would provide an unfair advantage to the slave states, where 90% of the slaves were located. In order to suffice both the North and South, a compromise was made where in Blacks were counted as 3/5th of a person towards taxation and representation.
The Northern state's argument towards the 3/5 Compromise was that the South viewed their slaves solely as property, and if they were allowed to count them in their census, then the North should be allowed to count cattle and other such livestock in theirs. Overall the compromise allowed for an even boundary between the North and the South wherein both sides accepted the Constitution and both had equal representation.



--Stephen Hickey, class III
--History Teacher: Mr. Denning
--Source: America's History by James A. Henretta
W. Elliot Brownlee
David Brody
Susan Ware
Source: Miracle at Philadelphia by Cathrine Drinker Bowen



RELATED SIGHTS TO THE 3/5 COMPROMISE

  1. Stated in the Virgina Plan "Viewed by Encyclopedia Britannica On-line"
  2. Brief views expressed during the Constitutional Convention "Viewed by Encyclopedia Britannica On-line"
  3. Find Reference to the 3/5 Compromise in Sect.1 Art.2 of the Constitution