State representation was(and is) based on the population of a given state. Origionally, that population count did not include African Americans. Southern slave owning states were upset by this, and wanted more representation. This brought about the Three Fifths Compromise. Under this, a black man was counted as three fifths of a white man in terms of state representation.

While eating in a cheap pizza buffet in Knoxville which doesn't seem to put any sauce on their pizzas, I was discussing this matter with two friends. One of them, Robert, is mixed (half black, half white). We were bored, so we decided to do some math. Three fifths of his black half would make 30%, which, when added to his already existing 50% white half will bring us to the conclusion that Robert counts as 80% of a white person according to the Three Fifths Compromise, and according to a scribbling on our scratch sheet, "that's too bad cause white people suck"!

(Disclaimer: 2'nd paragraph not to be taken seriously. I hope to expand upon the factual portion of this node at a later date.)