Malcolm Rivera
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It was a plan that defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution. The Great Compromise is found in Article One, Section One of the Constitution, which establishes a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
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What You'll Learn
- The Great Compromise was proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut
- It was also known as the Sherman Compromise or Connecticut Compromise
- It was a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan
- It created a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives
- It gave equal representation to each state in the Senate
The Great Compromise was proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut. It was a crucial agreement among the framers of the U.S. Constitution, which prevented the collapse of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The convention delegates were heavily divided over the issue of representation in Congress, with delegates from large states arguing for proportional representation in both houses, while small-state delegates demanded equal representation.
Roger Sherman, along with other delegates from Connecticut, played a pivotal role in proposing a legislative structure that ultimately became the Great Compromise. This proposal resolved the contentious issue of representation by establishing a dual system of congressional representation. In the House of Representatives, each state would be assigned a number of seats proportional to its population, while in the Senate, all states would have equal representation.
The Great Compromise committee, also known as the "Grand Committee," included Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, who suggested an additional provision. This provision stipulated that revenue and spending bills would originate in the House, and it was incorporated into the Sherman compromise proposal. The compromise plan was adopted by a narrow margin of just one vote on July 16, 1787, and it played a critical role in shaping the U.S. Constitution as we know it today.
Oliver Ellsworth, a prominent figure from Connecticut, also made significant contributions to the Great Compromise. He actively participated in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia, frequently speaking and advocating for a compromise that would lead to the formation of the Constitution. Ellsworth went on to serve in the early Senate and played an important role in promoting Alexander Hamilton's national debt funding and the establishment of the Bank of the United States. He later became the third Chief Justice of the United States and served as a commissioner to France while on the Supreme Court.
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It was also known as the Sherman Compromise or Connecticut Compromise
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise or Sherman Compromise, was agreed upon during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It was a plan for congressional representation that resolved the most controversial aspect of the drafting of the Constitution. The compromise was proposed by Roger Sherman and other delegates from Connecticut, who are often credited as the architects of the Great Compromise.
The Connecticut Compromise defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution. It retained the bicameral legislature, with proportional representation of the states in the lower house or House of Representatives, and equal representation in the upper house or Senate. Each state would have two members in the Senate, regardless of population size.
The compromise was reached after six weeks of turmoil, during which small-state delegates protested proportional representation in the Senate, threatening to unravel the proceedings. On July 2, 1787, a vote on equal representation in the Senate resulted in a tie, opening the possibility for compromise. A committee was appointed to reach a final resolution, and on July 5, the committee submitted its report, which became the basis for the Great Compromise.
The report, modified by Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, recommended that each state should have an equal vote in the upper house and one representative for every 40,000 inhabitants in the lower house, counting three-fifths of each state's enslaved population toward the total population. It also proposed that revenue and spending bills would originate in the lower house. This compromise addressed the concerns of both large and small states, ensuring that each had a say in the central government.
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It was a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise or the Sherman Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It was a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan, which were two opposing plans for the structure of the US government.
The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison and introduced by Edmund Randolph on May 29, 1787, called for a bicameral legislature and a strong national government with three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial. The legislative branch would consist of the Senate and the House of Representatives, with representation based on the state's population or "quotas of contribution". This plan was supported by larger states such as Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, as it gave them a greater say in the central government.
On the other hand, the New Jersey Plan, presented by William Paterson on June 15, 1787, advocated for a unicameral legislature and equal representation for each state, regardless of its size. This plan was designed to protect the interests of small states and proposed to retain much of the structure from the Articles of Confederation.
The Great Compromise, proposed by Roger Sherman and other Connecticut delegates, aimed to resolve the contentious issue of representation in Congress. It retained the bicameral legislature as proposed by the Virginia Plan, with the House of Representatives being proportionally represented based on population in the lower house. Meanwhile, the upper house or Senate provided for equal state representation, with each state having two members. This compromise addressed the concerns of both large and small states, ensuring that they had a voice in the central government.
The Great Compromise, along with the Three-Fifths Compromise, played a significant role in shaping the legislative structure and representation of the United States Constitution. It was a pivotal moment in the Constitutional Convention, demonstrating the delegates' ability to find common ground and work towards a unified government that considered the interests of all states, regardless of size.
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It created a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution. The agreement created a bicameral legislature, which refers to a style of government with a two-house legislative system.
The Founders of the United States established a bicameral legislature to create a separation of powers. At the Constitutional Convention, larger states (mostly in the South) and smaller states (in the North) began to quarrel over which should wield more power at the federal level. As a compromise, Roger Sherman, a delegate from the colony of Connecticut, proposed bicameralism. This way, smaller states got equal representation with larger states, with each having two senators, while the House of Representatives assigns members of Congress proportional to the population.
The bicameral legislature consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate was designed to represent the interests of the states, with each state, regardless of size, having two senators. Senators serve for six years before having to seek re-election. On the other hand, the House of Representatives was intended to be elected by and represent the interests of the common people. The number of representatives from each state is in proportion to that state's population. For example, California, the most populous state, sends 52 representatives to the House, while smaller states like Connecticut and Nebraska send five and three representatives, respectively.
The process of making a law depends on bicameralism. To become law, a bill must pass through both the House of Representatives and the Senate in identical form, which can often take a long time. The bicameral model also serves as an additional layer of checks and balances, preventing the legislative branch from having too much power.
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It gave equal representation to each state in the Senate
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution. It retained the bicameral legislature, with proportional representation of the states in the lower house or House of Representatives, and it required the upper house or Senate to be weighted equally among the states. Each state would have two members in the Senate, with each senator having one vote.
The Great Compromise resolved the most controversial aspect of the drafting of the Constitution, which was the question of how states should be represented in Congress. The states generally favored a bicameral legislature, but they were heavily divided over the representation in each branch of Congress. Delegates from small states objected to the idea of proportional representation in the Senate, arguing that it would give larger states too much power and threaten their sovereignty. They wanted to preserve the equal vote they had enjoyed under the Articles of Confederation. On the other hand, delegates from larger states argued that their states contributed more of the nation's financial and defensive resources and, therefore, ought to have a greater say in the central government.
The Convention appointed a "Grand Committee" to reach a final resolution on the question. The committee reported the original Sherman compromise proposal, with the added provision that revenue and spending bills would only originate in the House. On July 16, 1787, the delegates narrowly adopted the mixed representation plan, giving states equal votes in the Senate. This compromise allowed deliberations to continue and led to the Three-Fifths Compromise, which further complicated the issue of popular representation.
The Framers of the Constitution sought to promote a balance of power between the two chambers of Congress. They required U.S. law to have both national and federal approval, with a majority vote in the House of Representatives demonstrating national approval, and a majority vote in the Senate expressing federal approval. The Framers also saw the division of power between the House and Senate as a way to check abuses of power by the other.
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Frequently asked questions
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise or Sherman Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 were divided over the representation in each branch of Congress. The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison, proposed a bicameral national legislature with proportional representation in both houses, but delegates from small states objected to this idea.
The Great Compromise proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation based on a state's population in one chamber (the House of Representatives) and equal state representation in the other (the Senate).
Roger Sherman and other delegates from Connecticut, including Oliver Ellsworth, are often credited as the architects of the Great Compromise. James Madison of Virginia, Rufus King of Massachusetts, and Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania opposed the compromise.
The Convention adopted the Great Compromise on July 16, 1787. The compromise allayed the fears of both large and small states by ensuring that one House represented the people and the other represented the states.
