This story was originally published by Public News Service.
By Joe Ulery, anchor/producer
Public News Service
May 8, 2025
An Indiana debate over history and power is growing. Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith recently defended the Three-Fifths Compromise in a social media video. The compromise counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxes.
Beckwith called it a “great move” for America at the time, and praised the group WallBuilders, describing them as the “gold standard” for teaching U.S. history.
The Indiana Citizen investigated both claims. Publisher Bill Moreau called on Hoosiers should pay attention.
“We have been working on a project since the first of the year that we called: ‘One Heartbeat Away: Do Christian nationalists have an agenda for Indiana?’ Lt. Gov. Beckwith is literally one heartbeat away from being governor,” he said.
If Beckwith became governor, he could shape education policy. That includes choosing textbooks. The Indiana Citizen’s report found WallBuilders promotes views rejected by most historians. Some Hoosiers agree with Beckwith and say his views reflect America’s religious roots.
Moreau encouraged Hoosiers to stay informed and take a closer look at the history Beckwith promotes.
“Understand what Lt. Gov. Beckwith said about the Three-Fifths Compromise,” he added. “How he attributes that analysis to this group called WallBuilders – which he considers to be ‘the gold standard for learning the real history of America.'”
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