47WHAT DO
THE FACTS
SAY?
The Three-Fifths Compromise is often described as the “original sin” of the
Constitution, but less recognized is the impact that it had on the electoral college. The
figure shows the number of each state’s House members in the 1790s based on the
Three-Fifths Compromise, and then how many representatives they would have had if
only the free population had been counted or if the total population, including slaves,
had been counted.South Carolina
249,073 (43% slave)
Virginia
747,610 (39% slave)
Georgia
82,548 (35% slave)
Maryland
319,728 (32% slave)
North Carolina
393,751 (26% slave)
Kentucky
73,677 (17% slave)
Delaware
59,094 (15% slave)
New York
340,120 (6% slave)
New Jersey
184,139 (6% slave)
Rhode Island
68,825 (1% slave)
Connecticut
237,946 (1% slave)
Pennsylvania
434,373 (1% slave)
New Hampshire
141,885 (<1% slave)
Vermont
85,539 (<1% slave)
Massachusetts
475,327 (0% slave)Three-Fifths Compromise Nonslaves only Slaves as 1 person6
19
2
8
10
2
1
10
5
2
7
5
15
1
7
10
2
1
11
6
8
7
21
2
9
11
2 1 9 5 2 2 6
12
2
4
12
15
3
4
15
14
2
4
13
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, http://www.census.govNote: These numbers reflect total populations according to the 1790 census.- How many additional seats in
the House did southern states
get as a result of the Three-
Fifths Compromise, relative to
the number of seats they would
have had if slaves had not been
counted at all? - How many additional seats in
the House would southern states
have gotten if slaves had been
counted as full members of the
population? - How did the Three-Fifths
Compromise have an impact on
the electoral college? (Remember:
each state’s number of electors is
equal in number to its combined
total of representatives in the
House and senators.)
Think about it
Number of House Members
The politics of compromise at the Constitutional ConventionThe Three-Fifths Compromise
Full_03_APT_64431_ch02_030-069.indd 47 27/11/18 10:34 AM