AyahHamad Unit2Speech3

TheGreatCompromise
TheUnitedStatesofAmericahascomealongwaysincegainingindependence fromGreatBritain.TheFoundingFathershadtocreateanewgovernmenttoputineffect. ThisprocesstookalotoftrialanderrorbecausetheydidntwanttoreverttotheBritish waysofruling.Citizenswereafraidtogiveallthepowertoafederalgovernmentbecause theywantedasayinimportantdecisions.Aftermanymonthsofdebatingthedelegates wereinadeadlock. AtthetimeofthePhiladelphiaConventiondelegateswerearguingbackandforth tryingtodecideonafairplanofactionregardingthequestionofrepresentationthatthe majoritycouldagreeon.ThelargerstatespushedfortheVirginiaPlanwhilethesmaller statesfavoredtheNewJerseyPlan.AccordingtotheVirginiaPlan,therepresentation wouldbedeterminedbythestatespopulation.IntheHouseofRepresentatives,thestates arerepresentedinproportiontotheirinhabitantsheretheseparateinterestswilloperate withtheirfullforce,andtheviolenceofpartiescanberestrainedandquietedonlybyabody ofmenlesslocalanddependent.ItsnearlyimpossiblefortheHousetovalueall constituentsbeliefswithoutdisregardingtheinterestsoftheconfederacyasawhole.This idearaisestensionconcerningasinglehouselegislationbecausetherewouldbenoway toachieveaconsensus. Onthecontrary,theNewJerseyPlanbelievedeachstateshouldhaveanequal numberofrepresentatives.OnemajordebatewiththeNewJerseyPlaniseachstate wouldhaveanequalvote.ThismeansthatRhodeIslandwouldhaveasmuchpoweras

Virginia,eventhoughVirginiaismorepopulous.Thereseemedtobenoresolutionuntil twodelegatesfromConnecticutproposedanidea.Thisideawouldlaterbeknownasthe GreatCompromiseortheConnecticutCompromise. TheGreatCompromisewasaplansuggestedbyConnecticutdelegates,Roger ShermanandOliverEllsworth,atthePhiladelphiaConvention.TheGreatCompromise offeredthenotionofabicamerallegislation.Twohouselegislationwouldbethemediator betweentheNewJerseyPlanandtheVirginiaPlan.TheSenateconsistedoftwo representativesperstate,whichwouldcatertothesmallerstates.TheHouseof Representativeswouldvaryfromeachstate,dependingonthepopulation.TheGreat Compromisewasagreeduponandlittheignitionforcreatingastrongnational government. TheConnecticutCompromisegavecertaintaskstoboththeSenateandthe HouseofRepresentatives.Article1,Section7oftheConstitutionstatesthattheHouseof Representativeshasthepowertodevelopalltaxationbillsandgovernmentspending.The Senatewasappointedtodevelopingappropriationbillsandamendingtaxbillsinthe House.Inalmostallcompromiseseachsidehastolosesometowinsome.Thelarger stateshadtoreleasecontroloftheSenatebuttheygainedcontrolofgovernmentspending andtaxationbills.Thesmallerstatesagreedtoproportionalrepresentationbutthey securedtheirplaceinthegovernmenttofurtherprotecttheirideas. TheGreatCompromisecausedsometensionbetweentheopposersandthe supporters.JamesMadisonfeltasifthecompromisewasfundamentallyunjustandstrayed awayfromastrongfederalsystem.Inhisnotesfromtheconventionhewrote,itwas

conceivedthattheConventionwasreducedtothealternativeofeitherdepartingfrom justiceinordertoconciliatethesmallerStates,andtheminorityofthepeopleoftheU.S.or ofdispleasingthesebyjustlygratifyingthelargerStatesandthemajorityofthepeople.He believedgivingthestatesequalityintheSenatewasgoingbacktothemainaspectsofthe ArticlesofConfederation.Madisonandhisfollowerswantedtofocusoncreatinga democraticcentralgovernmentthatwouldgivemostofthepowertothenationnotthe states. TheConnecticutCompromisewasacontentiousissuedebatedovermonthsand waspassedbyasinglevote.Thiscompromisewasessentialinthedevelopingofthe Constitutionandtheframeworkforthenewgovernment.Itproducedthebicameral legislationandbestowedpowerupontheSenateandtheHouse.Withouttheproposalof theConnecticutCompromisetheyneverwouldhaveagreedtoanythingandbeenableto moveforward.ThecompromisehelpedcreateaframeworksothattheFoundingFathers couldprogressingivingthePeopleagovernmenttheycouldaccept.