[TiGuy22]

Do you think the founders were racists?

Yes. that 3/5 business (and many other pro-slavery opinions) supports that charge.

So you think the support of the “3/5 business” was racist? It was just the opposite. Congressional representation is determined by population and the south wanted the slaves counted fully in the population to add to their representation in Washington.

Counting them as 3/5 of a person lessened the slaves states’ representation. That is hardly racist.

[Responsibility2nd]

Counting them as 3/5 of a person lessened the slaves states’ representation. That is hardly racist.

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Wouldn’t that have actually INCREASED representation in the south? Instead of only whites being represented, they could add 3/5 ownership of their slaves to better their congressional position.

And of course blacks, (slaves or not) got nothing from this arrangement.

[mmichaels1970]

Counting them as 3/5 of a person lessened the slaves states’ representation. That is hardly racist.

That's how I always thought about it. The least racist would have been 0/5 - not counting slaves at all. "If you don't let them vote, you don't get to count them towards your congressional representation".