The Great Compromise: Constitutional Convention's Legacy

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was a meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where delegates from all states except Rhode Island gathered to discuss and decide on a new constitution for the young country. The Great Compromise was a plan proposed by Roger Sherman and the Connecticut delegates to resolve disputes over representation in Congress, creating a bicameral legislature with equal state representation in the Senate and proportional representation based on population in the House of Representatives. This compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was adopted on July 16, 1787, and became an integral part of the US Constitution. Thus, the Great Compromise was a significant outcome of the Constitutional Convention, addressing the concerns of both large and small states and shaping the country's legislative structure.

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The Connecticut Compromise

The Compromise retained the bicameral legislature, which had been proposed by Roger Sherman, with proportional representation of the states in the lower house or House of Representatives. It also required the upper house or Senate to be weighted equally among the states, with each state having two members in the Senate.

The Compromise was approved on July 16, 1787, and it allowed deliberations to continue, leading to the Three-Fifths Compromise, which further complicated the issue of popular representation in the House.

The Three-Fifths Compromise

The compromise counted three-fifths of each state's slave population toward that state's total population for the purpose of apportioning the House of Representatives, effectively giving the Southern states more power in the House relative to the North. This same ratio was also used to determine the federal tax contribution required of each state, thus increasing the direct federal tax burden of slaveholding states.

Commerce and slavery

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a pivotal agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention. It stipulated that for the purposes of taxation and representation in the House of Representatives, each state's population would be calculated by adding to the number of free persons "three-fifths of all other Persons", referring to enslaved individuals. This compromise gave Southern states, with their large slave populations, greater representation and influence in Congress and the Electoral College.

The delegates also debated the slave trade, with Northern states pushing for its prohibition and Southern states, where slavery was central to the economy, resisting. The Convention ultimately passed a compromise, known as the Slave Trade Clause, which allowed the importation of slaves until 1808, twenty years after the Constitution took effect. This clause did not use the word "slave", referring instead to the "importation of such persons". The compromise also granted Congress the authority to tax enslaved persons as property.

The Great Compromise, proposed by Roger Sherman and the Connecticut delegates, addressed the issue of representation in Congress. It resolved the deadlock between large and small states by establishing a bicameral legislature. The House of Representatives would have proportional representation based on a state's population, while the Senate would provide equal representation for each state, regardless of its population. This compromise aimed to balance the interests of both large and small states in the new government.

While the Constitutional Convention resulted in compromises on commerce and slavery, these agreements were ultimately unsustainable. The issue of slavery, in particular, remained a crack in the foundation of the nation, leading to the Civil War decades later.

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Bicameral legislature

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a plan proposed by Roger Sherman and other delegates from Connecticut at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The plan provided for a bicameral legislature, which gave equal representation to each state in the Senate and representation based on population in the House of Representatives.

The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in May 1787. The Convention was attended by delegates from all the states except Rhode Island. The delegates debated for months over what would be included in the Constitution. One of the main issues was the question of political representation, with the states heavily divided over representation in each branch of Congress. Large states felt that they should have more representation in Congress due to their larger populations, while small states wanted equal representation with larger ones.

Roger Sherman proposed a bicameral legislature, which would address the concerns of both large and small states. The plan provided that each state would have equal representation in the Senate, with two senators each, while representation in the House of Representatives would be based on population. This meant that each state would have "one representative for every 40,000 inhabitants," elected by the people.

The Great Compromise was adopted on July 16, 1787, after significant debate. It is considered a key moment in the creation of the United States Constitution, as it resolved a major point of contention among the states and paved the way for further compromises and negotiations.

The bicameral legislature established by the Great Compromise continues to be a fundamental feature of the US government, with the Senate and the House of Representatives serving as the two chambers of Congress. The compromise helped to ensure a balance of power between the states and population-based representation, addressing the concerns of both large and small states.

The Electoral College

The Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in May 1787, saw delegates from all the states except Rhode Island gather to decide on a new constitution for the young country. The convention debated the issue of political representation, with large states arguing for more representation in Congress and small states wanting equal representation with larger ones. The delegates eventually agreed to a "Great Compromise", also known as the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature with equal representation for each state in the Senate and representation based on population in the House of Representatives.

The Great Compromise, proposed by Roger Sherman and other delegates from Connecticut, addressed the concerns of both large and small states. It was adopted on July 16, 1787, and formed the basis for the structure of Congress in the United States.

The issue of slavery was also central to the debates at the Constitutional Convention, with delegates compromising over the Three-Fifths Clause. This clause stated that three-fifths of enslaved people in each state would count towards congressional representation, increasing the political power of slaveholding states.

The Constitutional Convention also led to the creation of the Electoral College, which was agreed upon by the delegates as the method of selecting the president. The Electoral College was seen by some as a way to boost the power of slaveholding states in presidential selection and to ensure that the presidential election was ultimately decided by national elites.

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