For the seventy years leading up to 1860, the U.S. Census counted enslaved peoples as three-fifths of a person. This was done for what purpose?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The purpose behind counting enslaved peoples as three-fifths of a person was to uphold the idea of white supremacy. This decision was made as part of a compromise during the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, where the southern states wanted to count enslaved peoples as full individuals for representation purposes, but not for taxation purposes. By counting them as three-fifths of a person, the southern states were able to gain a greater representation in Congress, while maintaining their economic system based on slavery. This decision laid the foundation for institutional racism and the racialization of African Americans in the United States.

For the Seventy Years Leading Up to 1860, the U