8.5 Resolution: The Great Compromise

Lesson 8 Section 5. Resolution: The Great Compromise

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Poll

Non academic question: Which candy best represents how you feel today?

Let's Review what we learned the other day!!

1. How would each of these would answer this question: Where should the government’s power to rule come from?

• Articles of Confederation: The states

• James Madison: The People

Now, let's learn something new!!

 Resolution: The Great Compromise

The New Jersey Plan was warmly received by delegates from small states.  The majority of delegates, however, saw William Paterson's plan as offering little improvement over the Articles of Confederation and rejected it.  But they could not agree on what should replace it.

Tempers Rise

The debate over representation in Congress continued into July, with tempers rising day by day. To most delegates from large states, representation based on population seemed both logical and fair. “Can we forget for whom we are forming a Government?” asked James Wilson of Pennsylvania. “Is it for men, or for the imaginary beings called States?”

Wilson thought the answer was obvious, but his logic could not overcome the fears of small-state delegates.  

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One hot Saturday afternoon, Gunning Bedford of Delaware tore into the delegates from large states.  “They insist,” he said, “they will never hurt or injure the lesser states. ” His reply to his own concern was straightforward.  “ I do not, gentlemen, trust you! ” If the large states continued in their efforts to “crush the smaller states,” Bedford warned, “the small ones will find some foreign ally of more honor and good faith who will take them by the hand and do them justice. ”

Multiple Choice

What did they think the large states would do to the small states?

• Crush them

• Be nice to them

Rufus King of Massachusetts was shocked at this reference to foreign powers, and he said that he was “grieved, that such a thought had entered his heart. ” Still, every delegate knew that Great Britain, France, and Spain were just waiting for the United States to fall apart so they could pick up the pieces.

A Compromise Is Reached

Finally, a compromise was proposed based on a plan put forward earlier by the delegate from Connecticut, Roger Sherman. The compromise plan kept a two-house Congress.  

Multiple Choice

Who created the plan that became known as the Great Compromise?

• Roger Sherman

• Thomas Jefferson

• The first house, the House of Representatives, would represent the people and would include a number of representatives from each state based on the state's population. 

• The second house, the Senate, would represent the states, and each state would have two senators elected by their state legislatures.

When it came time to decide, the vote was very close, but the plan, which would become known as the Great Compromise, was approved and saved the convention.

Multiple Choice

Which state would get the most Senators?

• Texas, population: 28,995,881

• South Dakota, population: 884,659

• Vermont, population: 623,989

• Arizona, population: 7,278,717

• None, they would all have 2

Multiple Choice

Which state would get the most representatives in the House?

• New Hampshire, population: 1,359,711

• North Carolina, population: 10,488,084

• Kentucky, population: 4,467,673

• Alaska, population: 731,545

• None, they would all have 2

Multiple Choice

Under the Great Compromise, the # of Senators each state has would be...

• based on the age of the state

• equal, each one gets 2

• based on the size of the state's population

• 15

Multiple Choice

Under the Great Compromise, the # of Representatives each state has in the House would be...

• based on the age of the state

• equal

• based on the size of the state's population

• 15

Multiple Choice

Under the Great Compromise, the Congress would be split into...

• The President and the Senate

• The House of Representatives and the Senate

• The President and the Vice President

• The President and the House of Representatives

Multiple Choice

What did the Great Compromise accomplish?

• Ben Franklin would be allowed to control the AC on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but has to allow Thomas Jefferson to control the temperature on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. George Washington gets weekends.

• The new government would use ideas from the Virginia Plan.

• The new government would use ideas from both the VA and NJ plans.

• The new government would use ideas from the New Jersey Plan.

Multiple Choice

What is the definition of compromise?

• A situation where everyone gets the same thing.

• A situation where everyone gets what they want.

• A situation where each side gives up something to reach an agreement.

• A situation where nobody gets what they want.

Poll

Non-Academic question: Should Ben Franklin be allowed to control the air conditioning?

• Yes. He served his country well during the Revolutionary War and deserves this privilege.

• No! Why should I have to put my coat on INSIDE?

• Yes. I like how cold it is.

• We should decide this by a vote. After all, we live in a democracy.

• ...Technically air conditioning didn't even exist in 1787. 🤓