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Difficulty: EasyThe Constitutional Convention and Ratification Debates

The table below shows population data from the 1790 United States Census for selected states:

StateFree PopulationEnslaved Population
Massachusetts378,7870
Virginia442,117292,627
Delaware46,3108,887

Which of the following compromises at the Constitutional Convention resolved the debate over how enslaved populations, such as the one shown for Virginia, would be counted for representation and taxation?

  1. The Three-Fifths CompromiseAnswer
  2. B
    The retention of a unicameral legislature to protect the equal sovereignty of states
  3. C
    The creation of a national bank to assume state debts from the Revolutionary War
  4. D
    The drafting of the Declaration of Independence to protest British tax policies

Answer

The Three-Fifths Compromise
The correct answer is the Three-Fifths Compromise. The table shows that Southern states like Virginia had substantial enslaved populations compared to Northern states like Massachusetts. During the Constitutional Convention, delegates debated whether and how to count these populations. The Three-Fifths Compromise resolved this by counting three-fifths of a state's enslaved population for both representation in the House of Representatives and direct taxation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the population table to identify the regional variation in enslaved populations.
Virginia is shown to have a very large enslaved population (nearly 300,000), while Massachusetts has none and Delaware has very few.
This establishes the context of the political division between states with high slave populations and those with low or zero slave populations.
2
Recall the debates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 regarding congressional representation.
Southern states wanted enslaved individuals to count toward representation to increase their political power in the House of Representatives, while Northern states opposed this.
This connects the census data directly to the political debate over how representation should be allocated.
3
Identify the compromise that resolved this specific debate.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was agreed upon, stating that three-fifths of the enslaved population would count for representation and direct taxation.
This directly matches the historical compromise that resolved the conflict over counting enslaved people.

Key Concept

The Three-Fifths Compromise resolved the debate over how enslaved people would be counted for representation and taxation under the new Constitution, reflecting the deep regional divisions between Northern and Southern states.
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Topics

The Constitutional Convention and Ratification Debates

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