Question

multiple choice question
why did southern states not want to count each enslaved person as part of a state’s population?
○ doing so would have given enslaved people more political power.
○ doing so would have increased each southern state’s taxes.
○ doing so would have forced southern planters to pay wages to enslaved people.
○ doing so would have given northern states more political power.

Explanation:

Counting each enslaved person fully would increase a state's population base used for calculating direct federal taxes. Southern states, which held large enslaved populations, would face higher tax burdens as a result, so they opposed full counting for this reason.

Answer:

C. Doing so would have increased each Southern state's taxes.