Answer to Question #265793 in History for coolboy

Question

At the Constitutional Convention, delegates debated whether or not staves should be included when calculating a state's population. Why was this issue important, and how was the debate resolved?

Answer 1

Counting them to be included in the population had a great impact in increasing the South's political power, it would also improve the amount of taxes. The states in the South were willing to pay this price. They made their argument favoring counting of slaves. Delegates deliberated and resolved the white inhabitants should be counted fully, and three fifths of all others should be counted which includes both the free and enslaved African-Americans.