You do know, I hope , that it didn’t matter whether they voted or not. What mattered was that the population of a state, including 3/5 of the slave population gave them a certain number in the House of Representatives.
“You do know, I hope , that it didn’t matter whether they voted or not.”
They were slaves. Perhaps there’s a point you’re missing here?
In the early days of the Republic there wasn’t a mechanism for personal taxation (income tax). There needed to be a way to determine the wealth of each state, and therefore its tax obligations and an amendment ws proposed that would determine wealth by population of each state.
The south howled that this was unfair since they had so many nig....black folk around. They didn’t want them to count at all (when it came to figuring taxes). The two sides haggled on what percentage slaves should count and agreed on 3/5ths but ultimately that measure died.
Then a mere four years later another quarrel arose revolving around the method of determining representation in Congress. This time the south squealed when it looked like their, er, slaves wouldn’t be counted (why should they be?!). Again the 3/5th rule was proposed and this time accepted.
The south, who didn’t want slaves to be counted when it would impact their pocketbook wanted them counted when it would impact their ability to bully congress.