The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It resolved the conflict between the states with small populations and those with large populations regarding representation in the legislature.
Under the Great Compromise, it was agreed that the legislature would consist of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. In the Senate, each state would have an equal vote, regardless of its population. In the House of Representatives, the number of seats would be based on the state's population.
When combined with the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted each slave as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of determining representation in the House of Representatives, the Great Compromise had a significant impact on the South's political power.
The Three-Fifths Compromise gave the South an advantage in representation, as it allowed them to include their enslaved population (even though they had no voting rights). This meant that the Southern states could count a portion of their slave population to determine the number of seats they would have in the House of Representatives. As a result, the Southern states had greater political power compared to what they would have had if only free populations were counted.
The Great Compromise, on the other hand, ensured that each state had equal representation in the Senate, regardless of its population. This benefited the smaller states, as they had an equal voice in that chamber.
Therefore, when combined with the Three-Fifths Compromise, the Great Compromise had the effect of giving the South an advantage in terms of political power. It provided them with both equal representation in the Senate and increased representation in the House due to the inclusion of enslaved populations. This allowed the Southern states to exert greater influence in the national legislature and shape legislation to their benefit.
How did the
compromise
impact the
South’s political
power when
combined with the
Three-Fifths
Compromise?
great compromise
1 answer