Eleanor Finch
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, was proposed by Connecticut delegates Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth during the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. The compromise aimed to resolve the dispute between small and large states over representation in the new federal government. It proposed a bicameral legislature with a Senate, providing equal representation for all states, and a House of Representatives apportioned according to population. This compromise was a significant step towards creating the United States' federal system of government, influencing other federal elements such as the Electoral College.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth |
| State | Connecticut |
| Proposal | A bicameral legislature composed of a Senate with equal representation of the states, and a House of Representatives apportioned according to population |
| Impact | The Three-Fifths Clause, which complicated the issue of popular representation in the House |
| Opposition | James Madison of Virginia, Rufus King of Massachusetts, and Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania |
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What You'll Learn
- The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, was proposed by Connecticut delegates Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth
- The Compromise was a proposal to create a bicameral legislature composed of a Senate and a House of Representatives
- It aimed to resolve the dispute between small and large states over representation in the new federal government
- The Compromise gave each state equal representation in the Senate, allowing states to check and balance power in the national government
- The Three-Fifths Clause, which was part of the Compromise, addressed the issue of popular representation in the House
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, was proposed by Connecticut delegates Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth
The Connecticut Compromise was a significant development in the creation of the United States' federal system, which has been referred to as "a bundle of compromises." It was a modified version of Sherman's initial proposal, with Benjamin Franklin making changes to make it more acceptable to larger states. The compromise included the Three-Fifths Clause, which gave Southern delegates some protection against future Northern attempts to limit slavery.
Roger Sherman played a crucial role in the Connecticut Compromise, repeatedly advancing a legislative structure during the Convention debates that eventually formed the basis of the Great Compromise. Sherman also secured support for the Three-Fifths Clause, despite the Southern delegates' unhappiness with Northern advantages in the House representation.
Oliver Ellsworth, the other Connecticut delegate, was a leading proponent of the Connecticut Compromise. He supported the motion for individual votes for state members in the Senate, contributing to the enduring compromise. Ellsworth also expressed his optimism about the eventual decline of slavery, stating, "Slavery, in time, will not be a speck in our country."
The Connecticut Compromise was a critical moment in the formation of the United States' federal government, addressing representation concerns and setting the stage for further federal developments. The proposal by Sherman and Ellsworth helped navigate the complex dynamics between small and large states, shaping the nation's governing structure.
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The Compromise was a proposal to create a bicameral legislature composed of a Senate and a House of Representatives
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, was proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, both delegates from Connecticut, to resolve the differences between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans. The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison, proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in both houses based on the size of the state. On the other hand, the New Jersey Plan, proposed by William Paterson, suggested a unicameral legislature where each state had a single vote.
The Connecticut Compromise proposed a bicameral legislature composed of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Senate would have equal representation from each state, while the House of Representatives would have representation proportional to the state's population. This compromise addressed the concerns of small states, which feared being overshadowed by larger states in a purely proportional representation system.
The Connecticut Compromise was a significant step forward in the drafting of the United States Constitution. It resolved one of the most controversial aspects of the Constitution—how to balance representation in Congress fairly between large and small states. This compromise, along with others like the Three-Fifths Compromise, helped to create a more unified national government and paved the way for the ratification of the Constitution.
The Compromise also had implications for the balance of power between the state and federal governments. By dividing legislative power between two chambers, the Framers of the Constitution intended to distribute power and prevent its concentration in a single body. This bicameral structure, with the Senate representing the interests of the states and the House of Representatives reflecting the population distribution, contributed to a more balanced and representative form of government.
The Connecticut Compromise, with its innovative approach to congressional representation, played a pivotal role in shaping the United States government. It demonstrated the delegates' commitment to finding common ground and crafting a Constitution that could unite the nation. The Compromise's legacy continues to be felt today, influencing the way Americans are represented and governed at the federal level.
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It aimed to resolve the dispute between small and large states over representation in the new federal government
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, was proposed by Connecticut delegates Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth during the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. The Compromise aimed to resolve the dispute between small and large states over representation in the new federal government.
The larger states wanted congressional representation based on population, while smaller states wanted equal representation. Southern states, which were growing more quickly than the North, favoured proportional representation as they expected growth and thus wanted representation based on population. Smaller states with lower populations argued that representation based on population would lead to an unfair dominance of larger states in the new nation's government.
The Connecticut Compromise combined proposals from the Virginia (large state) plan and the New Jersey (small state) plan. It proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house (the House of Representatives) and equal representation of the states in the upper house (the Senate). All revenue measures would originate in the lower house. This compromise was approved on July 16, 1787.
The Compromise served the self-interests of small-state political leaders, who were assured of access to more seats in the Senate than they might otherwise have obtained. Senate representation was explicitly protected in Article Five of the United States Constitution, which states that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate. This agreement allowed deliberations to continue and led to the Three-Fifths Compromise, which further complicated the issue of popular representation in the House.
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The Compromise gave each state equal representation in the Senate, allowing states to check and balance power in the national government
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, was proposed by Connecticut delegates Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth during the drafting of the United States Constitution in 1787. The Compromise aimed to resolve the dispute between small and large states over representation in the new federal government.
The Connecticut Compromise proposed a bicameral legislature, consisting of a Senate with equal representation for each state and a House of Representatives apportioned according to population. This gave each state an equal voice in the Senate, allowing them to check and balance the power of the national government. The Compromise was accepted as a way to protect states' rights and ensure that the national government did not become too powerful.
The Compromise was a significant development in the creation of the United States' federal system of government. It introduced federal elements into the national government, paving the way for other federal institutions such as the Electoral College. The Compromise also led to the Three-Fifths Clause, which further complicated the issue of popular representation in the House of Representatives.
While the Connecticut Compromise gave states equal representation in the Senate, other constitutional provisions granted senators independence from the state legislatures that elected them. This dual nature of the Senate, with a federal structure but national operations, has led some scholars to refer to the United States' federal system as "a bundle of compromises."
The Connecticut Compromise was a critical moment in the formation of the United States' system of government, balancing the powers of the states and the national government and shaping the country's political landscape. It was a compromise that allowed for the creation of a stronger national government while also protecting states' rights and ensuring their representation in the Senate.
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The Three-Fifths Clause, which was part of the Compromise, addressed the issue of popular representation in the House
The Three-Fifths Clause was part of the Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, which addressed the issue of popular representation in the House. The Compromise was proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, both delegates from Connecticut, and was a modified form of Sherman's original proposal. It was designed to settle the dispute between large and small states, providing that the House of Representatives would be apportioned based on population, while the states would be equally represented in the Senate.
The Three-Fifths Clause specifically addressed the issue of how to count the slave population when apportioning representatives. The Southern states wanted to count the total slave population, while the Northern states did not want to count any slaves in making the apportionment. The Clause was a compromise that counted three-fifths of each state's slave population toward its total population for the purpose of apportioning the House of Representatives. This gave the Southern states more power in the House relative to the Northern states.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution. The relevant text states: "Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other Persons."
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a contentious issue, with some arguing that it supported the notion that slaves were considered only three-fifths of a person. However, others argued that it encouraged freedom by giving an increase of "two-fifths" of political power to free over slave states. The Compromise was ultimately superseded by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, which explicitly repealed it.
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Frequently asked questions
Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, both delegates from Connecticut, are known as the Connecticut compromisers.
The Connecticut Compromise was a proposal in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to create a bicameral legislature composed of a Senate, with equal representation of the states, and a House of Representatives apportioned according to population.
The Connecticut Compromise gave the states a significant role in checking and balancing power in the national government. It paved the way for other federal elements, such as the Electoral College, to be added.
The Connecticut Compromise is also known as the Great Compromise. It was proposed by Roger Sherman and other delegates from Connecticut during the debates at the 1787 convention and was accepted to solve the dispute between small and large states over representation in the new federal government.
