Roger Sherman proposed the 1787 Constitutional Convention compromise giving each state equal representation in the Senate.
Sherman, a Connecticut delegate, argued that the new legislature should combine two principles. Representation in the House of Representatives would reflect each state’s population, while representation in the Senate would give every state an equal voice. This approach helped bridge the conflict between large states and small states.
The agreement became known as the Connecticut Compromise, or the Great Compromise. The Convention adopted it in July 1787. The final Constitution provided for two senators from each state, while House seats were apportioned according to population. The arrangement remains a defining feature of the U.S. Congress.
Sherman’s proposal is sometimes attributed broadly to the Convention or confused with James Madison’s Virginia Plan. Madison supported proportional representation in both chambers, whereas Sherman’s solution combined proportional representation in the House with equal state representation in the Senate. The compromise allowed the Convention’s broader constitutional work to continue.