Connecticut Compromise/Great Compromise

Written By Jonathan Milner

Definition

At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, there was a great debate over how representatives to the new government would be selected: the same number per state, or a certain number per state based upon the state’s population. The Virginia Plan (also known as the Large-State Plan by silly people) was a proposal at the Constitutional Convention by delegates from Virginia. Drafted by James Madison, the Virginia Plan proposed a strong central government composed of three branches: legislative (bicameral), executive, and judicial.  The plan called for a legislature divided into two bodies (the Senate and the House of Representatives) with proportional representation. That is, each state’s representation in Congress would be based on its population. The alternative to the Virginia Plan, William Paterson’s New Jersey Plan, intended to give states equal representation in a unicameral (one-chamber) legislature. The New Jersey Plan would have revised the Articles of Confederation to keep more power in the hands of the states instead of a centralized government.

On July 16, 1787, a plan proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, Connecticut’s delegates to the Constitutional Convention, established a two-house legislature. The Great Compromise, or Connecticut Compromise as it is often called, proposed a solution to the heated debate between larger and smaller states over their representation in the newly proposed Senate. The larger states believed that representation should be based proportionally on the contribution each state made to the nation’s finances and defense, and the smaller states believed that the only fair plan was one of equal representation. The compromise proposed by Sherman and Ellsworth provided for a dual system of representation. In the House of Representatives each state’s number of seats would be in proportion to population. In the Senate, all states would have the same number of seats. Amendments to the compromise based representation in the House on total white population and three-fifths of the black population. On July 16, 1787, the convention adopted the Great Compromise by a one-vote margin.

Example

 
 

Questions

  1. Translate Connecticut Compromise into plain English.

  2. Find an emoji or image that does a good job of capturing the meaning of the Great Compromise:

  3. What was the main debate that was resolved by the Great Compromise?

  4. In what way were small states made happy by the Connecticut Compromise?

  5. In what way were large states made happy by the Connecticut Compromise?

  6. Imagine that the Connecticut Compromise never happened! Would we even be the United States of America?

  7. If you had to start the country over and rewrite the Great Compromise how would you change it?

  8. What is the main impact of the composition of the Senate representation on today’s politics?

  9. Why were the Framer’s willing to compromise?

  10. What are some issues today that we are not good at compromising on?

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to draw the Great Compromise! Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.

Further Review

GoPo Glossary

Jonathan Milner

Civics Maven!

https://www.gopopro.com/
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