3. How was the issue of counting slaves for population in determining congressional representation resolved at the Constitutional Convention?

Answer:The compromise solution was to count three out of every five slaves as people (for representation and tax purposes) for this purpose. Its effect was to give the Southern states a third more seats in Congress and a third more electoral votes than if slaves had been ignored, but fewer than if slaves and free people had been counted equally.

A contentious issue at the 1787 Constitutional Convention was whether slaves would be counted as part of the population which they were deciding if they be under the representation of the states in the Congress or would instead be considered property and, as such, not be considered for purposes of representation.