Which describes the compromise over slavery that delegates agreed upon during the constitutional convention?

Which describes the compromise over slavery that delegates agreed upon during the constitutional convention?

• A. Delegates agreed on how enslaved people would be counted in the census
• B. Delegates decided the president would be elected by popular vote
• C. Delegates banned the importation of slaves immediately
• D. Delegates created a unicameral legislature

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how enslaved people were counted when determining a state’s political power in the new government. At the Constitutional Convention, there was a dispute about whether enslaved people should be included in population counts used to decide representation in Congress. The compromise reached—often called the three-fifths compromise—stated that enslaved people would be counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation in the House and for taxation, with the census providing the tally to apply that rule. This directly shapes how much influence a state has in Congress by tying population counts to both representation and tax responsibilities, which is why this description fits the question. Other ideas mentioned don’t describe this slavery-related arrangement: choosing the president by popular vote relates to how the executive is elected, while an immediate ban on slave imports and creating a unicameral legislature pertain to different issues or structures and not the specific compromise about counting enslaved people for representation.

The main idea here is how enslaved people were counted when determining a state’s political power in the new government. At the Constitutional Convention, there was a dispute about whether enslaved people should be included in population counts used to decide representation in Congress. The compromise reached—often called the three-fifths compromise—stated that enslaved people would be counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of representation in the House and for taxation, with the census providing the tally to apply that rule. This directly shapes how much influence a state has in Congress by tying population counts to both representation and tax responsibilities, which is why this description fits the question.

Other ideas mentioned don’t describe this slavery-related arrangement: choosing the president by popular vote relates to how the executive is elected, while an immediate ban on slave imports and creating a unicameral legislature pertain to different issues or structures and not the specific compromise about counting enslaved people for representation.