The Great Compromise: A Creative Solution to a Historic Debate

What was the name of the plan that blended the Virginia and New Jersey Plans at the Constitutional Convention?

Final answer: The Great Compromise

Answer:

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, blended the Virginia and New Jersey Plans to create a bicameral Congress with both houses offering different forms of representation.

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a brilliant solution to the debate between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan at the Constitutional Convention. It showcased the creativity and innovation of the framers who were willing to find common ground and make compromises for the greater good of the newly forming nation.

The Virginia Plan, supported by larger states, proposed a bicameral legislature where representation was based on population size. On the other hand, the New Jersey Plan, backed by smaller states, suggested a unicameral legislature with equal representation for all states. These two plans represented conflicting interests and threatened to divide the convention.

To bridge this gap, the Great Compromise merged these conflicting ideas by creating two chambers in Congress. The Senate would have equal representation for all states, satisfying the smaller states, while the House of Representatives would have representation based on population, addressing the concerns of larger states. This innovative solution laid the foundation for the modern-day United States Congress and established a fair balance between states of different sizes and populations.