What was a major concern during the debates at the Philadelphia Convention?

A significant concern during the debates at the Philadelphia Convention was indeed how to represent slaves in Congress. This issue emerged from the need to balance representation and the status of enslaved individuals, which had profound implications for political power and representation in the new government structure. Delegates grappled with whether enslaved people should be counted as part of the population for determining representation in the House of Representatives.

The outcome of these debates led to the Three-Fifths Compromise, which established that three out of every five enslaved individuals would be counted for purposes of both taxation and representative allocation. This compromise highlighted the tensions between Northern and Southern states regarding slavery and revealed how deeply intertwined the institution was with American political and social life.

In contrast, the other options did not constitute the central debates at the Convention. Abolishing the federal government or eliminating all taxes were not viable discussions within the context of creating a stronger federal framework. Additionally, the notion of public voting on all issues was not practical or reflective of the intentions of many delegates, who favored a representative government rather than direct democracy.