Three-Fifths

Definition

The three-fifths compromise was a decision made at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 that determined enslaved individuals would be counted as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of determining a state's population and representation in Congress.

Related terms

Constitutional Convention: A gathering held in Philadelphia in 1787 where delegates from different states came together to draft the United States Constitution.

Representation: The act of being represented or having someone speak or act on behalf of others.

Slave Trade Clause: A clause included in the Constitution that allowed Congress to regulate and eventually abolish the international slave trade after 1808.