Eleanor Finch
The U.S. Constitution, ratified by all 13 states in 1789, is sometimes referred to as a bundle of compromises, as delegates had to make several concessions to create a government charter acceptable to each state. The three major compromises were the Great Compromise, the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Electoral College. The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, settled matters of representation in the federal government by creating a two-house legislature, with the Senate having equal representation for all states and the House of Representatives having representation proportional to state populations. The Three-Fifths Compromise settled matters of representation when it came to the enslaved population of southern states and the importation of enslaved Africans. The Electoral College settled how the president would be elected.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Compromise | Great Compromise, Three-Fifths Compromise, Connecticut Compromise, Electoral College |
| What it settled | Matters of representation in the federal government, including the representation of enslaved people in the House of Representatives |
| How it was settled | The Great Compromise combined the Virginia Plan (representation based on state population) and the Jersey Plan (equal representation for every state) |
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What You'll Learn
The Great Compromise
The Virginia Plan had provided representation based on each state's population, while the Jersey Plan proposed equal representation for every state. The Great Compromise combined both plans.
The US Constitution, produced after the Constitutional Convention and ultimately ratified by all 13 states in 1789, is sometimes called a "bundle of compromises" because delegates had to give ground on numerous key points to create a government charter acceptable to each of the 13 states.
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The Three-Fifths Compromise
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, combined the Virginia Plan and the Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan provided representation based on each state's population, while the Jersey Plan proposed equal representation for every state. The Great Compromise settled matters of representation in the federal government by creating a two-house legislature, with the Senate having equal representation for all states and the House of Representatives having representation proportional to state populations.
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The Electoral College
The process of electing the president through the Electoral College is complex. In most states, the candidate who receives the most votes in the state's popular election receives all of that state's electoral votes. However, there are some states that allocate their electoral votes proportionally, based on the popular vote. The candidate who receives a majority of electoral votes (270 or more) wins the election.
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The Connecticut Compromise
The Great Compromise settled matters of representation in the federal government, satisfying both small and large states. However, there are still questions today about whether the Senate's representation should be based on population, as in the House of Representatives.
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The Virginia Plan
However, the Virginia Plan also had its critics. Some argued that it gave too much power to the larger states, potentially marginalising the smaller states and their citizens. This was a concern particularly for the smaller states, who feared that their interests and perspectives would be overlooked in favour of those of the larger states.
Ultimately, the Great Compromise was reached as a way to address these competing concerns and find a solution that was acceptable to all the states. By combining elements of both the Virginia and Jersey Plans, the Great Compromise sought to balance the interests of large and small states and ensure that all citizens were fairly represented in the new government.
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Frequently asked questions
The three major compromises were the Great Compromise, the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Electoral College.
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, combined the Virginia Plan and the Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan provided representation based on each state's population, while the Jersey Plan proposed equal representation for every state. The Great Compromise created a two-house legislature, with the Senate having equal representation for all states and the House of Representatives having representation proportional to state populations.
The Three-Fifths Compromise settled matters of representation when it came to the enslaved population of southern states and the importation of enslaved Africans. It counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a white person for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives.
