Which plan counted enslaved people as part of apportionment for representation?

• A. Great Compromise
• B. Three-Fifths Compromise
• C. Commerce Compromise
• D. Northwest Ordinance

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how enslaved people were counted to determine representation in Congress. The Three-Fifths Compromise established that enslaved individuals would be counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of apportioning representation (and direct taxes). This was created to resolve a fierce dispute between free and slave states over how population would translate into seats in the House. Counting enslaved people at three-fifths gave Southern states more influence in representation than if enslaved people were counted as full persons, but less than if they were ignored entirely. The compromise was specific to how population numbers translate into political power, not about the structure of Congress itself or about trade or territorial rules. The other options dealt with different issues: one shaped how the two houses of Congress would be formed, another handled trade and slave-trade timing, and another set rules for new territories.