In the apportionment of representatives, how were enslaved people counted?

• A. One enslaved person counted as one
• B. Two enslaved people counted as three
• C. Five enslaved people counted as three
• D. Three enslaved people counted as five

Answer: (C)

In this topic, the key idea is how enslaved people were counted when determining how many representatives a state could have in the House. At the Constitutional Convention, delegates settled on a specific rule known as the Three-Fifths Compromise: for purposes of representation (and taxation), five enslaved people would be counted as three people. In other words, enslaved individuals did contribute to a state’s population, but not as full persons.

This mattered because it gave slaveholding states more seats than they would have had if enslaved people were counted at zero, while still limiting their power compared to counting every person. The choice reflects a negotiated balance between regions with and without slavery.

So, five enslaved people counted as three is the correct understanding. Other options would imply counting enslaved people as a full person or at a different ratio, which is not what the historical agreement established.