According to the U.S. Constitution, enslaved individuals were counted as what?

The correct answer reflects the historical context of the United States Constitution, specifically the Three-Fifths Compromise established during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This compromise determined that enslaved individuals would be counted as three-fifths of a person when calculating a state's population for purposes of representation in Congress and taxation.

This decision was influenced by the differing interests of the Northern and Southern states. Southern states, which had large enslaved populations, wanted to count these individuals fully to increase their representation in the House of Representatives. However, Northern states argued that since enslaved individuals could not vote or participate in the political process, they should not be counted fully. The compromise resulted in the three-fifths count, which symbolized a significant and troubling aspect of the nation's history, reflecting the dehumanization of enslaved people while still giving Southern states more political power than they would have had otherwise. This clause remained in effect until the post-Civil War amendments aimed at abolishing slavery and establishing equal rights for all individuals.