Lesson 5 of 84 · The Constitution
⭐ 30 XP🏛️ Civic SquareThe Three-Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention regarding how enslaved individuals would be counted for representation and taxation purposes.
🎯 Your mission
Spot the fair part. Spot the unfair part.
⚡ The twist
Laws change. Power changes who gets to change them.
Mind = Blown
🤯 In ancient Athens, 'democracy' only included about 10% of the people.
Then & Now
🏛️ Knowing this makes you a better voter when you grow up.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention regarding how enslaved individuals would be counted for representation and taxation purposes. Southern states wanted to count enslaved people to gain more representatives in Congress, while Northern states opposed this. The compromise determined that each enslaved person would be counted as three-fifths of a person. This decision highlighted the deep divisions over slavery in the early United States.
Key Facts
The Three-Fifths Compromise counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person.
It was a compromise between Northern and Southern states.
The compromise affected representation in Congress.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2How was each enslaved person counted according to the Three-Fifths Compromise?
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.
Watch a town meeting or council clip on YouTube for 5 minutes.
For the dinner table
“What's one rule at our house you'd change if you could vote on it?”
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