Question

what was the great compromise?

Answer 1

The "Great Compromise" (also called the Connecticut Compromise) was the agreement reached at the U.S. Constitutional Convention in 1787 that solved a major dispute between large and small states over legislative representation.

Key points
- Problem: Large states (Virginia Plan) wanted representation based on population; small states (New Jersey Plan) wanted each state to have equal representation.
- Solution (proposed by Connecticut delegates Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth): create a bicameral (two‑house) Congress:
- House of Representatives: representation based on population (larger states get more seats).
- Senate: equal representation for every state (two senators per state).
- Additional features tied to the compromise: revenue and tax measures would originate in the House. The Three‑Fifths Compromise (counting enslaved people as three‑fifths of a person for representation and taxation) was part of the broader set of compromises over representation.

Significance
- It broke the deadlock at the Convention, allowed the Constitution to be drafted and ratified, and balanced the political power of large and small states. (Note: originally senators were chosen by state legislatures; the 17th Amendment, 1913, later established direct election of senators.)