<P> After a contentious debate, the compromise that was finally agreed upon--of counting "all other persons" as only three - fifths of their actual numbers--reduced the representation of the slave states relative to the original proposals, but improved it over the Northern position . An inducement for slave states to accept the Compromise was its tie to taxation in the same ratio, so that the burden of taxation on the slave states was also reduced . </P> <P> The Three - Fifths Compromise is found in Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, which reads: </P> <P> 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 . </P> <P> A contentious issue at the 1787 Constitutional Convention was whether slaves would be counted as part of the population in determining representation of the states in the Congress or would instead be considered property and, as such, not be considered for purposes of representation . Delegates from states with a large population of slaves argued that slaves should be considered persons in determining representation, but as property if the new government were to levy taxes on the states on the basis of population . Delegates from states where slavery had become rare argued that slaves should be included in taxation, but not in determining representation . </P>

The three- fifths clause in the u.s. constitution
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