The Three-Fifths Compromise

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a controversial agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention that addressed how enslaved individuals would be counted for representation and taxation purposes. The compromise stipulated that each enslaved person would be counted as three-fifths of a person when determining a state's population for congressional representation. This decision reflected the deeply ingrained social and economic disparities of the time and highlighted the tensions between Northern and Southern states. The compromise ultimately allowed for greater representation for slaveholding states while perpetuating the institution of slavery.