Which group argued that slaves should be counted as full persons for representation?

• A. The Southern states
• B. The Northern states
• C. The Federalists
• D. The Anti-Federalists

Answer: (A)

The group that argued for slaves to be counted as full persons for representation were the Southern states. This stance was rooted in their desire to increase political power in Congress. Southern states had large populations of enslaved individuals and wanted to leverage that to gain more representation in the House of Representatives. The more individuals counted in a state's population, the more representatives that state would have, thus enhancing its political influence.

This discussion was particularly significant during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which ultimately led to the creation of the Three-Fifths Compromise. This compromise allowed states to count three-fifths of their enslaved population for both taxation and representation purposes. While Southern states aimed for full counting to maximize their representation, the compromise recognized the contentious nature of the issue, reflecting the differing views between the North and South regarding slavery.