In Zionsville, Lt. Gov. Beckwith defends remarks on Three-Fifths Compromise

By PHIL SANCHEZ & GREGG MONTGOMERY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

Beckwith

Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith on Tuesday night had a town hall meeting at Zionsville Town Hall, addressing controversial comments he’s made about the Three-Fifths Compromise.

In a video posted in April, the Republican said the Three-Fifths Compromise was “a great move” by the northern delegates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention.

“This was a great move by the North to make sure that slavery would be eradicated in our nation,” Beckwith said in the video. Indiana Democrats “think a Three-Fifths Compromise was something that was a scourge on Black people. That’s not what it was.”

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a provision written into Article I, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, in which three-fifths of enslaved people would be counted toward a state’s population for the purposes of allotment of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Three-Fifths Compromise was overturned by the Fourteenth Amendment to Constitution, ratified in 1868.

Beckwith’s town hall in Zionsville saw heated exchanges between Beckwith and protesters, including Monty Hulse from the Invisible Central Indiana activists’ group. “We would like to see him admit wrongdoing about the statement about the Three-Fifths Compromise,” Hulse said in a protest before Beckwith’s town hall.

At the event, Beckwith defended his comments. “People think that I’m saying that three-fifths of a person is a good thing, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying the Three-Fifths Compromise spurred us on in the right direction.”

He further criticized the public education system, claiming it has failed to teach proper history, resulting in pushback against his statements.

Hulse disagreed with Beckwith’s interpretation, calling it “false history” and emphasizing the need for accurate historical education.

Despite the contentious atmosphere, Beckwith expressed satisfaction with the event, noting that both sides were well represented and that such dialogue is important. Beckwith plans to continue holding town hall meetings, asserting that ongoing dialogue is crucial for progress. However, it’s been reported, his office is not making the full calendar of town hall meetings available to the public. Previous events have been in the town of Ellettsville, and the cities of Franklin and Muncie.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/politics/beckwith-defends-three-fifths-compromise-comments.