The Connecticut Compromise gave every state equal representation in the Senate while assigning population-based representation to the House of Representatives.
Also called the Great Compromise or Sherman Compromise, the agreement resolved a major dispute at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Large states favored representation based mainly on population, while smaller states feared losing their influence in a national legislature dominated by larger states.
The compromise established a bicameral Congress with two different representation systems. Each state would have two senators, regardless of population, while House representation would be apportioned according to population. The convention adopted the arrangement on July 16, 1787, in a close 5–4 vote by the states.
Roger Sherman of Connecticut was a leading architect, working with other delegates including Oliver Ellsworth. The agreement is sometimes confused with the Three-Fifths Compromise, which addressed how enslaved people would be counted for representation and taxation. The Connecticut Compromise instead focused on the structure and representation of Congress.