Final answer:
The Three-Fifths Compromise allowed a slave to count as three-fifths of a person for determining both representation in Congress and federal taxation, balancing Northern and Southern interests regarding the political power and taxation connected to the enslaved population.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a key agreement reached between Northern and Southern states during the 1787 Philadelphia Convention. It was designed to balance the interests of states with large enslaved populations and those with smaller ones. Representation and taxation were the main areas affected by this compromise. Under the agreement, a slave would be counted as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of both allocating representation in the House of Representatives and determining the imposition of federal taxes.
This compromise reflected a negotiation between the Northern states, who wished to limit the Southern states' power in Congress by not fully counting enslaved people, and the Southern states, who wanted all enslaved individuals counted to increase their representation but not for tax purposes. The compromise on the slave trade allowed it to continue until 1808, a concession to Southern states, while the language used in the Constitution avoided explicitly mentioning slavery, referring instead to "free persons" and "all other persons."