Compromise: The Constitution's Foundation Stone

The Great Compromise, also known as the Sherman Compromise or 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 compromise was important to the Constitution because it resolved disputes between delegates from large and small states over representation in the new federal government, allaying fears that a commonality of interest among larger states would work to the disadvantage of smaller states. It established a bicameral legislature with proportional and equal representation in the Senate and House of Representatives, with each state getting representatives in the lower chamber (the House) proportional to its population and two representatives in the upper chamber (the Senate).

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The Great Compromise resolved disputes by creating a bicameral legislature

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise or the Sherman Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It resolved disputes between delegates from large states and small states over the structure of Congress and the number of representatives each state would have.

The delegates from large states believed that because their states contributed proportionally more in taxes and military resources, they should have greater representation in both the Senate and the House. The delegates from small states argued that all states should be equally represented in both houses.

The Great Compromise proposed a bicameral legislature, or a two-chambered Congress, consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. Each state would have equal representation in the Senate, with two senators each, and proportional representation in the House based on population. This compromise pleased delegates from both large and small states, as it provided for both equal and proportional representation in the legislature.

The Great Compromise was adopted on July 16, 1787, by a narrow margin of just one vote. Many historians have noted that without this vote, there may not have been a U.S. Constitution today. The compromise was also significant because it helped to define the structure of the U.S. Congress and the number of representatives each state would have under the Constitution.

It ensured proportional and equal representation in the Senate and House

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise or the Sherman Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution. The compromise was proposed by Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman and supported by Oliver Ellsworth.

The Great Compromise resolved disputes by creating a bicameral legislature with proportional and equal representation in the Senate and House. Each state would send an equal number of representatives to the Senate, and one representative to the House for every 30,000 or 40,000 residents of the state. This ensured that both large and small states were satisfied with their representation in Congress.

Delegates from large states believed that because they contributed proportionally more in taxes and military resources, they should have greater representation in both the Senate and the House. On the other hand, delegates from small states argued that all states should be equally represented in both houses. The Great Compromise struck a balance by providing for proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

The issue of equal representation threatened to destroy the convention. Without the Great Compromise, there may not have been a U.S. Constitution today. The compromise allowed for the continuation of deliberations and the formation of a new federal government.

The Great Compromise also addressed the issue of slavery, including a three-fifths clause that counted three-fifths of each state's enslaved population toward its total population for representation purposes. This further complicated the issue of popular representation, but it was a necessary compromise to form a new national government.

It allayed fears of commonality of interest among larger states

The Great Compromise, also known as the Sherman Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution. The Compromise was proposed by Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman, and it retained the bicameral legislature, with each state getting representatives in the lower chamber (the House) proportional to its population and two representatives in the upper chamber (the Senate).

The Great Compromise was important as it allayed the fears of commonality of interest among larger states. The delegates from the large states believed that because their states contributed proportionally more in taxes and military resources, they should enjoy greater representation in both the Senate and the House. However, the delegates from small states argued that all states should be equally represented in both houses. The Great Compromise, therefore, provided a solution that satisfied both parties. 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). This meant that each state would have an equal vote in the Senate, while the lower house would have proportional representation, with one representative for every 30,000 or 40,000 residents of the state.

The Compromise was approved on July 16, 1787, by a very narrow margin of just one vote. Many historians have noted the significance of this vote, suggesting that without it, there may not have been a U.S. Constitution. The Great Compromise was thus crucial in resolving disputes between the states and ensuring the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

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It enshrined protections for slaveholders in the Constitution

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 compromise was proposed by Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman, and it retained the bicameral legislature, with proportional representation of the states in the lower house or House of Representatives, and equal representation of the states in the upper house or Senate.

The Three-Fifths Compromise, also known as the Constitutional Compromise of 1787, was an important aspect of the Great Compromise that enshrined protections for slaveholders in the Constitution. This compromise was reached between delegates from the Northern and Southern states at the Constitutional Convention. The agreement stated that three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives. This gave the Southern states more power in the House relative to the Northern states, as it increased their representation in the House of Representatives and gave them extra votes in the Electoral College. The Three-Fifths Compromise also tied the representation of slaves to taxation, reducing the tax burden on slaveholding states.

The framers of the Constitution consciously avoided using the word "slave" or "slavery" in the document, recognizing that it would tarnish its principles. However, they prioritized the maintenance of unity and the creation of a strong central government over the eradication of slavery, leading to concessions that protected the institution of slavery. The controversy over the Atlantic slave trade was settled with a compromise that banned restrictions on the trade for 20 years in exchange for removing a clause restricting the national government's power. Additionally, the Constitution included a fugitive slave clause, requiring the return of runaway slaves to their owners, and empowered the federal government to put down slave insurrections.

The Three-Fifths Compromise had complex implications for political power dynamics. While it reduced the representation of slave states relative to earlier proposals, it still provided them with enlarged powers in Southern legislatures. This compromise was later superseded and explicitly repealed by the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, which granted an increase in political power to free over slave states.

It was proposed by Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise or the Sherman Compromise, was proposed by Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman during the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

Sherman was born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1721. His family moved to Stoughton, Massachusetts, when he was two years old. Sherman's early career was as a shoemaker, but he later moved to Connecticut and became the county surveyor in 1745. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1754. He held numerous public offices, serving in the Connecticut legislature several times between 1755 and 1789. He also served as a justice of the peace, a county judge, and a judge of the superior court. In 1787, Sherman represented Connecticut at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, where he played a key role in proposing the Great Compromise.

The Great Compromise was an agreement reached between delegates of states with large and small populations that defined the structure of Congress and the number of representatives each state would have. Under the agreement, Congress would be a "bicameral" or two-chambered body, with a Senate and a House of Representatives. Each state would have two representatives in the Senate, and one representative in the House for every 30,000 or 40,000 residents, depending on the source. This ensured that each state had equal representation in the Senate while also having proportional representation in the House based on its population.

The Great Compromise was important because it resolved disputes between larger and smaller states over representation in Congress. Delegates from large states believed that they should have proportionally more representation in both the Senate and the House because they contributed more in taxes and military resources. On the other hand, delegates from small states argued that all states should be equally represented in both houses. The Great Compromise satisfied both sides by providing for proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate. This prevented a deadlock at the Constitutional Convention and established the basis of the present system of federal government.

Historians often credit Sherman and the Connecticut delegates as the architects of the Great Compromise. Sherman's plan helped save the convention from disintegrating, and he later served in Congress under the new Constitution, first as a representative and then as a senator.

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