What compromise offered by James Madison in 1787 affected how states counted slaves for representation in the House of Representatives?

Explore the Praxis II Elementary Education Social Studies Exam. Boost your chances of success with comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each offering hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your test!

The Three-Fifths Compromise is significant because it addressed the contentious issue of how slaves would be counted in determining a state's population for representation purposes in the House of Representatives. Proposed at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, this compromise stipulated that for every five enslaved individuals, three would be counted towards a state's population. This was a strategic measure that aimed to balance the interests of Northern states, which had fewer slaves and were opposed to counting them for representation, with those of Southern states, which wanted to count slaves fully to increase their political power in Congress.

This arrangement ultimately influenced the distribution of political power within the federal government and highlighted the deeply entrenched issues of slavery and representation in the early United States. The other choices mentioned—Great Compromise, Connecticut Compromise, and Missouri Compromise—are related to different aspects of the structuring of Congress or the process of statehood but do not directly pertain to the method of counting enslaved individuals for representation. Therefore, the Three-Fifths Compromise stands out as the correct answer in this context.

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