What was the purpose of the 3/5 Compromise?

The purpose of the 3/5 Compromise was to establish a formula for counting enslaved individuals for the purposes of representation in Congress and taxation. This compromise emerged during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 as a solution to a contentious debate between northern and southern states regarding how slaves would be counted when determining a state's total population, which would influence both representation in the House of Representatives and tax responsibilities.

By agreeing to count each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person, the compromise aimed to balance the desires of slave-holding states, which wanted more representation due to their larger populations that included enslaved individuals, with the interests of non-slave-holding states that were concerned about the political power that would be granted to the southern states. This agreement ultimately shaped the structure of congressional representation and influenced the balance of power in the early United States, highlighting the complexities of negotiating federalism and the contentious issue of slavery in American politics.