Final answer:
Oliver Ellsworth argued in defense of the South by supporting the Three-Fifths Compromise during the Constitutional Convention. He advocated for counting enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of determining a state's representation in the House of Representatives.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the issue of representation in the House of Representatives became a contentious matter. The Southern states, which had a significant enslaved population, sought to include enslaved individuals in the count for representation to increase their political influence. Conversely, the Northern states were opposed to including enslaved individuals in the population count for representation.
Oliver Ellsworth, a delegate from Connecticut, played a pivotal role in proposing the Three-Fifths Compromise as a solution to this dispute. He argued that enslaved individuals should be counted as three-fifths of a person when determining a state's representation. This compromise aimed to strike a balance between the interests of the Southern and Northern states, addressing concerns about representation and taxation. The compromise, though inherently flawed, became part of the final text of the United States Constitution.
In summary, Oliver Ellsworth's defense of the South centered around the Three-Fifths Compromise, which aimed to reconcile the conflicting interests of the Southern and Northern states regarding the representation of enslaved individuals in the newly formed federal government. This compromise, while a significant step forward in the creation of the Constitution, reflected the complex compromises and negotiations necessary to form a united nation at the time.