Who proposed the plan to count slaves as "three-fifths of a person"?

• A. James Madison
• B. Roger Sherman
• C. George Washington
• D. Thomas Jefferson

Answer: (A)

The proposal to count slaves as "three-fifths of a person" originated from a compromise during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Specifically, James Madison played a significant role in drafting and supporting this provision as a method to balance the interests of Northern and Southern states during debates over representation in Congress.

The three-fifths compromise was an important aspect of the discussions surrounding how enslaved individuals would be counted when apportioning representation and taxation among the states. Southern states, which had large slave populations, wanted slaves to count fully for representation purposes, while Northern states, which had fewer enslaved individuals, opposed this idea. The compromise resulted in each slave being counted as three-fifths of a person, which aimed to appease both sides and ultimately was incorporated into the Constitution.

This compromise reflects not only the political climate of the time but also the contentious and deeply flawed moral considerations surrounding slavery, which would continue to have profound implications in American history.