The Three-Fifths Clause

The Three-Fifths Clause Did Not Say Blacks Were 3/5’s Of A Person.

“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.” - ARTICLE I, SECTION 2, CLAUSE 3

The Three-Fifths Clause did NOT say black folks were 3/5’s of a person. The three-fifths clause was a method of determining representation and taxation for the individual states. The method used was to count all of the free people, exclude Indians not taxed, but only include 3/5 of all the slaves counted. Many from the north did not want to count slaves at all.

“…Northern delegates resisted counting slaves at all.” H/T The Heritage Foundation.

Notice that the 3/5’s rule applies to slaves, not black folks. Not all slaves were black. Not all slave owners were white.

The Three-Fifths Clause was about the federal government’s ability to tax people and its attempt to control the number of representatives each state could have.