Did FREE blacks count as a full person or 3 fifths of a person in the 3/5ths compromise ?

Question

Did free blacks, not salves, count as a full person or were they still 3/5ths ? 

Answer 1

Free blacks (not slaves) were not specified in this compromise as it related solely to states with slave populations.  States with slave populations were able to count 3/5 of the slave population in figuring census count.  Census count was necessary in determining the number of congressional representatives each state would get.  

 

This compromise, like most compromises, did not please either side completely.  Those against slavery had the opinion that if the slave states wanted to count slaves as people, then they should treat them equally as people and not chattel.  Remember, this was a time when only white, male property owners had voting rights, so this had nothing to do with voting - just numeration.  

 

The slave states got more representation in Congress, as they desired.  What did they give up in the compromise?  Very interesting:  the compromise provided that the slave states could count their slaves at 3/5 numeration value, but only if they agreed to put an end to slave importation in 20 years.  Basically, it was a 20-year intent to do away with slavery in the U.S.  Of course, it didn't work out that way, because slave owners began breeding slaves instead of importing them.  It's a twisted, convoluted history that we have.  

 

The movie "Amistad" is a great story about the some of the consequences of the compromise.  I highly recommend it!

Answer 2

As per theroot.com:

"The three-fifths clause is perhaps the most misunderstood provision of the U.S. Constitution. The clause provides that representation in Congress will be based on "the whole Number of free Persons" and "three fifths of all other Persons." The "other Persons" were slaves. Despite popular understandings, this provision did not declare that African Americans were three-fifths of a person. Rather, the provision declared that the slave states would get extra representation in Congress for their slaves, even though those states treated slaves purely as property."

 

To simplify, free blacks were counted just as the whites were counted, but a slave did not represent 3/5 of a person.