What was the three fifths commpromise?

The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the 1787 Constitutional Convention in the United States, determining how enslaved individuals would be counted for purposes of taxation and representation in Congress. It stipulated that each enslaved person would be counted as three-fifths of a person. This compromise was intended to balance the interests of Southern states, which had large enslaved populations, with those of Northern states, where slavery was less prevalent. It reflected the contentious debates over slavery and representation that would continue to shape American politics.