Three-fifths of slaves were counted for purposes of

• A. Electing state legislatures
• B. Allotting seats in the House of Representatives
• C. Apportioning delegates to presidential conventions
• D. Assigning delegates to state conventions

Answer: (B)

The important idea is how enslaved people were counted to determine representation in Congress. The three-fifths rule was a compromise that counted three-fifths of enslaved people when figuring a state's population for seats in the House of Representatives (and for taxes). That means enslaved individuals contributed to a state’s number of representatives, though not as full persons. So the best choice is that this counting was used to allot seats in the House of Representatives. It isn’t about electing state legislatures or choosing presidential or state convention delegates, which aren’t tied to this population count.