Lesson 37 of 84 · The Constitution
⭐ 30 XP🏛️ Civic SquareThe Three-Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a critical agreement made during the Constitutional Convention in 1787 concerning how enslaved individuals would be counted for legislative representation and taxation.
🎯 Your mission
Spot the fair part. Spot the unfair part.
⚡ The twist
A 'fair rule' for one group can be unfair for another.
Mind = Blown
🤯 Some laws on the books are over 800 years old and still apply.
Then & Now
🏛️ Knowing this makes you a better voter when you grow up.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a critical agreement made during the Constitutional Convention in 1787 concerning how enslaved individuals would be counted for legislative representation and taxation. Under this compromise, each enslaved person would be counted as three-fifths of a person when determining a state's population for representation in the House of Representatives. This compromise aimed to balance the interests of Southern states, which had large enslaved populations, with Northern states, which had fewer. While it addressed immediate political concerns, it also reflected the deeply entrenched issues of slavery and representation in the early United States.
Key Facts
The Three-Fifths Compromise counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person.
It was part of the negotiations at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
This compromise affected the distribution of congressional representation.
Timeline
Brown v. Board of Education: school segregation declared unconstitutional
Martin Luther King Jr. gives the 'I Have a Dream' speech
The Civil Rights Act is signed
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2What was the purpose of 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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