The Great Compromise created a two-chamber Congress with population-based representation in one chamber and equal state representation in the other.
The agreement emerged during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Delegates from large states favored representation based on population, while smaller states wanted each state to have an equal voice. The dispute threatened to derail the convention.
The compromise established a House of Representatives in which representation would be based on population and a Senate in which every state would have two senators. It also provided that revenue bills would originate in the House, reflecting the chamber’s direct connection to voters.
The agreement is commonly called the Connecticut Compromise because Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut helped develop it. It is also known as the Great Compromise. The arrangement remains a central feature of the Constitution, although the Senate’s equal representation means states have unequal population-to-senator ratios.