Simone Lawson
The Great Compromise was an agreement made during the 1787 Constitutional Convention to resolve a dispute between states with larger populations and smaller states. The former wanted congressional representation based on population, while the latter demanded equal representation. The Great Compromise, which created today's system of congressional representation, helped to ratify the Constitution by addressing the concerns of both larger and smaller states. It also influenced the way votes are counted in the Electoral College during presidential elections.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| The Great Compromise was forged in a dispute during the 1787 Constitutional Convention | States with larger populations wanted congressional representation based on population, while smaller states demanded equal representation |
| The Great Compromise created today's system of congressional representation | The agreement influences everything from "pork barrel" legislation to the way votes are counted in the electoral college during presidential elections |
| The Great Compromise was amended to include three-fifths of the slaves in a state as state inhabitants | This amendment was made to the plan for the House of Representatives, which proposed that each state would have "one representative for every 40,000 inhabitants," elected by the people |
| The Great Compromise proposed that each state would have an equal vote in the Senate | Members of the Senate were to be elected by the individual state legislatures |
| The Great Compromise passed by a single vote | Madison and Wilson won the fight over representation in the House, but suffered a defeat over representation in the Senate |
| The Great Compromise helped curb fears of the Anti-Federalists | The Federalists noted that the sovereign power of the Nation resides in the people, and the Constitution merely distributes power to the state and the government of the United States |
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What You'll Learn
- The Great Compromise was a solution to a dispute between states with larger populations and smaller states
- Larger states wanted congressional representation based on population, while smaller states wanted equal representation
- The Great Compromise allowed for equal state representation in the Senate
- The Great Compromise was amended to allow for three-fifths of a state's slaves to be counted as inhabitants
- The Great Compromise helped to curb fears of the consolidation of government power in a national Congress
The Great Compromise was a solution to a dispute between states with larger populations and smaller states
The dispute centred on representation in the House of Representatives and the Senate. For the House of Representatives, the plan proposed that each state would have "one representative for every 40,000 inhabitants," elected by the people. The compromise was amended to allow that state inhabitants would also include "three-fifths of the slaves" in the state. For the Senate, the committee proposed that each state would have an equal vote with members elected by the individual state legislatures.
The Great Compromise eventually passed by a single vote. Madison and Wilson won the fight over representation in the House, but they suffered a major defeat over representation in the Senate. The Federalists defended the Senate, arguing that the sovereign power of the Nation resides in the people, and the Constitution merely distributes power to the state and the government of the United States.
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Larger states wanted congressional representation based on population, while smaller states wanted equal representation
To prevent the convention from dissolving into chaos, the founding fathers came up with the Great Compromise, which created today's system of congressional representation. The Great Compromise was amended to allow that state inhabitants would also include three-fifths of the slaves in the state. For the House of Representatives, the plan proposed that each state would have "one representative for every 40,000 inhabitants," elected by the people. The committee proposed that for the Senate, each state would have an equal vote with members elected by the individual state legislatures.
The Great Compromise eventually passed by a single vote. Madison and Wilson won the fight over representation in the House, but they suffered a major defeat over representation in the Senate. The Great Compromise now influences everything from "pork barrel" legislation to the way votes are counted in the Electoral College during presidential elections. During the state ratification debates that followed the Convention, one of the central objections from the Anti-Federalists was that the consolidation of government power in a national Congress could destroy state legislative power. The Federalists attempted to curb these fears by noting that the sovereign power of the Nation resides in the people, and the Constitution merely distributes one portion of power to the state and another proportion to the government of the United States.
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The Great Compromise allowed for equal state representation in the Senate
The Great Compromise was an agreement made at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. It was a compromise between states with larger populations and smaller states. The larger states wanted congressional representation based on population, while the smaller states demanded equal representation. The founding fathers came up with the Great Compromise to prevent the convention from dissolving into chaos.
The Great Compromise created today's system of congressional representation. For the Senate, the committee proposed that each state would have an equal vote, with members elected by the individual state legislatures. This proposal was a major defeat for Madison and Wilson, who had wanted representation in the Senate to be based on population.
The Great Compromise was amended to include "three-fifths of the slaves" in the state's population when determining representation. This amendment was known as the three-fifths clause.
The Great Compromise was a crucial step in the ratification of the Constitution. It addressed the concerns of the Anti-Federalists, who feared that the consolidation of government power in a national Congress could destroy state legislative power. The Federalists defended the Great Compromise, arguing that the Constitution distributed power between the states and the federal government.
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The Great Compromise was amended to allow for three-fifths of a state's slaves to be counted as inhabitants
The Great Compromise was an agreement made during the 1787 Constitutional Convention, which helped to ratify the Constitution by resolving a dispute between states with larger populations and smaller states. The larger states wanted congressional representation based on population, while the smaller states demanded equal representation.
The Great Compromise also created today's system of congressional representation, which influences everything from "pork barrel" legislation to the way votes are counted in the Electoral College during presidential elections. It was a hard-fought victory for Madison and Wilson, who won the fight over representation in the House, but suffered a major defeat over representation in the Senate.
During the state ratification debates that followed the Convention, one of the central objections from the Anti-Federalists was that the consolidation of government power in a national Congress could destroy state legislative power. The Federalists attempted to curb these fears by noting that the sovereign power of the Nation resides in the people, and that the Constitution merely distributes power between the state and the government.
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The Great Compromise helped to curb fears of the consolidation of government power in a national Congress
The Great Compromise was forged in a heated dispute during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. States with larger populations wanted congressional representation based on population, while smaller states demanded equal representation. The agreement, which created today’s system of congressional representation, now influences everything from “pork barrel” legislation to the way votes are counted in the electoral college during presidential elections.
The Great Compromise was amended to allow that state inhabitants would also include three-fifths of the slaves in the state. This was significant because it meant that the number of slaves in a state would influence the number of representatives that state had in the House of Representatives.
The Federalists attempted to curb fears of the consolidation of government power by noting that the sovereign power of the Nation resides in the people, and that the Constitution merely distributes one portion of power to the state and another proportion to the government of the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
The Great Compromise was an agreement made during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. States with larger populations wanted congressional representation based on population, while smaller states demanded equal representation.
The Great Compromise created today's system of congressional representation, which influences everything from "pork barrel" legislation to the way votes are counted in the Electoral College during presidential elections.
The purpose of the Great Compromise was to prevent the Constitutional Convention from dissolving into chaos due to disputes over representation.
The Great Compromise proposed that each state would have "one representative for every 40,000 inhabitants," elected by the people. It also included a "three-fifths clause," which counted three-fifths of the slaves in a state as inhabitants for representation purposes.
One of the central objections from the Anti-Federalists was that the consolidation of government power in a national Congress could destroy state legislative power. The Federalists countered by arguing that the Constitution merely distributed power between the states and the federal government, with the ultimate sovereignty residing in the people.
