Under the Three-Fifths Compromise, how many slaves counted toward a state's population for representation and taxation?

• A. Three out of five slaves counted toward representation and taxation
• B. Five out of five slaves counted toward representation and taxation
• C. Two out of five slaves counted toward representation and taxation
• D. All slaves counted as full persons

Answer: (A)

In the Three-Fifths Compromise, enslaved people were counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of both representation in the House and federal taxation. This meant that for every enslaved individual, three-fifths would be added to a state's population count, increasing its number of representatives and its tax base, but not as full persons. It was a political agreement between Northern and Southern states to resolve how slaves would influence political power and fiscal obligations. The idea is that only part of a slave’s status would be counted, hence three-fifths rather than a full person or no count at all.