Lesson 37 of 84 · The Constitution
⭐ 30 XP🏛️ Civic SquareThe Three-Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a solution reached during the Constitutional Convention that dealt with how slaves would be counted for representation and taxation.
🎯 Your mission
Decide what YOU would do in their shoes.
⚡ The twist
A 'fair rule' for one group can be unfair for another.
Mind = Blown
🤯 Women in New Zealand could vote 27 years before women in the US.
Then & Now
🏛️ The rule you'll meet today is still on the books — sort of.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a solution reached during the Constitutional Convention that dealt with how slaves would be counted for representation and taxation. Southern states wanted to count slaves as part of their population to gain more representatives in Congress, while Northern states disagreed. The compromise stated that each slave would count as three-fifths of a person. This agreement affected how many representatives each state had for many years.
Key Facts
The Three-Fifths Compromise was established in 1787.
It counted each slave as three-fifths of a person for representation.
This compromise helped determine how many representatives each Southern state had.
Timeline
The Bill of Rights is ratified
The Louisiana Purchase doubles the size of the U.S.
The Civil War begins
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2What did the Three-Fifths Compromise determine?
Why this still matters
Your school has rules. Where do they come from? Who decides them?
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Make up a fair rule for your family. Pitch it.
For the dinner table
“What's one rule at our house you'd change if you could vote on it?”
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