Critique the following constitutional provision protecting the property of slave owners. What would be an advantage of this policy?
"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."
(1 point)
Identifying enslaved people as property ensures that Southern slave states remain part of the Union.
The national government assesses taxation on an equal basis, regardless of state population size.
Taxes are divided on an equal basis regardless of race, ensuring taxation is fair.
States retain the power to decide what taxes will be paid to the federal government, thus increasing state autonomy.
The advantage of this policy, as stated in the given options, is: "Identifying enslaved people as property ensures that Southern slave states remain part of the Union."
The advantage of this policy is that it ensures that Southern slave states remain part of the Union. By including three-fifths of the enslaved population in the apportionment of representatives and direct taxes, it gave greater political influence to slave-holding states, which helped address concerns about their representation being disproportionately diminished. This provision helped maintain the fragile balance between free and slave states during the drafting of the United States Constitution and facilitated the formation of a more cohesive and united country.
Critique: The constitutional provision quoted is known as the Three-Fifths Compromise, which was included in the United States Constitution in 1787. It counts enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of apportioning representation and direct taxes amongst the states.
One disadvantage or critique of this provision is that it perpetuated and legitimized the institution of slavery. It treated enslaved individuals as property rather than as full human beings with equal rights, which was a significant moral failing and a violation of basic human rights.
Advantage: However, one potential advantage of this policy is that it helped to maintain unity and prevent disunion among the states at a critical time in American history. By including enslaved individuals in the population count, the slave states were granted additional representation in the House of Representatives and consequently more influence in the political system. This compromise was crucial in persuading the Southern states to remain part of the Union during the formation of the Constitution.
This advantage relates to the option provided in the answer choices: "Identifying enslaved people as property ensures that Southern slave states remain part of the Union." By granting slave-owning states more representation and therefore more political power, it helped to appease their concerns and avoid the potential threat of them seceding from the Union.
It is important to note that while this advantage may have temporarily preserved the Union, it ultimately perpetuated and prolonged the institution of slavery, which had devastating consequences for millions of enslaved individuals.