Isabella Carter
Connecticut was the fifth state to ratify the US Constitution, on 9 January 1788. The state's three delegates, Oliver Ellsworth, William Samuel Johnson, and Roger Sherman, were instrumental in breaking a deadlock between larger and smaller states, and their Connecticut Compromise led to the two-house legislative system still in place today.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | 9 January 1788 |
| Connecticut delegates | Oliver Ellsworth, William Samuel Johnson, Roger Sherman |
| Connecticut's position | Fifth state to ratify the Constitution |
| Compromise | Broke a "deadlock" between larger and smaller states |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Connecticut was the fifth state to ratify the US Constitution
- Roger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth, and William Samuel Johnson were Connecticut's delegates
- The Connecticut Compromise led to the two-house legislative system
- Connecticut's delegates broke a deadlock between larger and smaller states
- The US Constitution was drafted in Philadelphia in 1787
Connecticut was the fifth state to ratify the US Constitution
The three Connecticut delegates arguably proved the most instrumental in the new constitution's adoption. Roger Sherman, for example, had originally favoured strengthening the Articles of Confederation, having drafted amendments to give the Continental Congress "power to levy imports, to establish a supreme court, and to make laws binding on all the people".
On January 9, 1788, Connecticut ratified the Constitution of the United States by a vote of 128-40.
The Constitution's Journey to Ratification and Support
You may want to see also
Roger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth, and William Samuel Johnson were Connecticut's delegates
On 9 January 1788, Connecticut became the fifth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States. Connecticut's delegates, Roger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth, and William Samuel Johnson, were instrumental in breaking a deadlock between larger states, which favoured proportional legislative representation based on population size, and smaller ones, which advocated that all states have but one vote each. Their "Connecticut Compromise" led to the two-house legislative system still in place today.
Sherman, Ellsworth, and Johnson were all distinguished men. Sherman had signed the Declaration of Independence and served as New Haven's first mayor. Ellsworth was a delegate to the Continental Congress during the Revolution and a state judge. Johnson was a former militia officer and representative to the Congress of the Confederation from 1785-1787.
The three men's contributions were not restricted to Philadelphia, as all three advocated for and shepherded the Constitution's eventual ratification by Connecticut's state legislature. Their efforts proved the most instrumental in the new constitution's adoption, offering a compromise that finally broke a "deadlock".
Enlightenment's Influence on US Constitution Ratification
You may want to see also
The Connecticut Compromise led to the two-house legislative system
On January 9, 1788, Connecticut became the fifth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States. Connecticut's delegates, Roger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth, and William Samuel Johnson, were instrumental in breaking a deadlock between larger states, which favoured proportional legislative representation based on population size, and smaller ones, which advocated that all states have but one vote each. Their "Connecticut Compromise" led to the two-house legislative system still in place today.
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise of 1787 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. It retained the bicameral legislature, with the upper house or Senate having equal representation from each state, and the lower house or House of Representatives having proportional representation based on a state's population. This proposal helped solve the difficult dispute over whether the character of the national government should be confederal or national and how representation in Congress should be allocated.
The compromise combined proposals from the Virginia (large state) plan and the New Jersey (small state) plan. According to the Great Compromise, there would be two national legislatures in a bicameral Congress. Members of the House of Representatives would be allocated according to each state's population and elected by the people. In the second body, the Senate, each state would have two representatives regardless of the state's size, and state legislatures would choose Senators.
The Connecticut delegates arguably proved the most instrumental in the new constitution's adoption, offering a compromise that finally broke a "deadlock".
Federalists: Champions of the Constitution's Ratification and Legacy
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Connecticut's delegates broke a deadlock between larger and smaller states
On 9 January 1788, Connecticut became the fifth state to ratify the US Constitution, which had been drafted the previous year at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Connecticut's delegates—Oliver Ellsworth, William Samuel Johnson, and Roger Sherman—were instrumental in breaking a deadlock between larger states, which favoured proportional legislative representation based on population size, and smaller ones, which advocated that all states have but one vote each. Their "Connecticut Compromise" led to the two-house legislative system still in place today.
The three men had arrived in Philadelphia in May 1787, where they were delegates at the Constitutional Convention. Ellsworth was the first to arrive, on 28 May, with Sherman and Johnson following on 30 May and 2 June, respectively. All three men were distinguished: Sherman had signed the Declaration of Independence and was the first mayor of New Haven; Ellsworth was a delegate to the Continental Congress during the Revolution and a state judge; and Johnson was a former militia officer and representative to the Congress of the Confederation (1785-1787).
The Connecticut delegates' compromise was not restricted to Philadelphia, as all three advocated for and shepherded the Constitution's eventual ratification by Connecticut's state legislature. Their contributions proved to be the most instrumental in the new constitution's adoption, offering a compromise that finally broke the deadlock between larger and smaller states.
Belize's Constitution Ratification: A Historical Overview
You may want to see also
The US Constitution was drafted in Philadelphia in 1787
Connecticut was represented by three men: Roger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth, and William Samuel Johnson. Their "Connecticut Compromise" broke a deadlock between larger states, which favoured proportional legislative representation based on population size, and smaller ones, which advocated that all states have but one vote each. This led to the two-house legislative system still in place today.
On 9 January 1788, Connecticut became the fifth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution came into effect in 1789 and has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since.
Wisconsin's Constitution: Ratification and Its Historical Impact
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Roger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth, and William Samuel Johnson.
On 9 January 1788.
A two-house legislative system that broke a deadlock between larger states, which favoured proportional legislative representation based on population size, and smaller ones, which advocated that all states have but one vote each.
128-40.
