The Great Compromise of the Constitution

Many Americans are unaware of the difficulty in creating the bicameral legislature involving the Senate and the House of Representatives. During the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, there were two original plans that were explored. These were the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. Although both of these plans had their own positives, the smaller and larger states could never agree on which one to follow. That was, of course, until the Great Compromise of the Constitution.

The Great Compromise of the Constitution, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was the answer to the problem because it blended the ideas of both plans that would satisfy all states in the Union. The Virginia Plan believed in a national government with three branches that had great strength. The legislature would be made up of two separate houses. One house was to be directly elected by the citizens, while the second house was to be selected by those nominated. On the other hand, the New Jersey Plan, drawn up by William Peterson of New Jersey, would call for each state having a single vote in Congress. There would be only one house, and that house would be able to raise taxes, as well as regulate trade.

As can be expected, both the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan had critics in both the small and large states. All states wanted to be sure that their voices would be heard loudly and fairly. The Great Compromise of the Constitution combined the strengths of both plans, allowing for satisfaction in all states. This plan called for a bicameral legislature and created the Senate and the House of Representatives. In the Senate, each state, regardless of size, would elect one Senator. The House of Representatives would then have a number of representatives that related to the size of its population; however, each state would have at least one. This helped quell many of the issues surrounding equal voice in the new government, and it allowed for the structure of government that America knows today.