Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman proposed the first version of the Great Compromise at the 1787 Constitutional Convention.
Sherman’s proposal addressed a major dispute between large and small states. Large states favored representation based on population, while small states wanted equal representation for every state. On June 11, 1787, Sherman proposed a two-chamber legislature combining both approaches.
The resulting Connecticut Compromise, also called the Great Compromise or Sherman Compromise, gave proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate. Every state would receive two senators, regardless of population.
The convention approved the compromise on July 16, 1787. It helped make agreement on the Constitution possible, although the final document also included other controversial bargains, including the Three-Fifths Compromise. Sherman is sometimes overlooked because James Madison kept extensive notes and became more famous as a constitutional architect, but Sherman’s proposal was crucial to the convention’s settlement.