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The Great Compromise at Independence Hall

            The Constitutional Convention gathered in Independence Hall on May 25, 1787. On May 29 Governor Edmund Randolph introduces the Virginia Plan to the delegates, and the Convention begins with a bang. The Virginia Plan was the brainchild of James Madison and pertained to the representation of the states in the Senate. It called for an upper and lower house with the representatives from both houses selected in such a way that the states would have proportional representation. This proportion was based on their populations, so the larger states would have more representatives than the smaller states. This resolution began a tug-of-war between the large states and small states over representation in the house operating between May 30th and June 13th. The smaller states counteracted the Virginia Plan with the New Jersey Plan on June 15, which called for a unicameral house that used equal representation so every state had one vote in the senate. This plan was eventually merged with the Virginia Plan to create the "Great Compromise" on June 16 where the lower house was filled with proportional representation and the upper house was filled with equal representation. This "Great Compromise" according to Lance Banning cleared the air of a broad issue that was plaguing the Convention allowing the states to focus on issues that were specific to their jurisdictions, Jack Racove has a different opinion of this so called "Great" compromise though. He saw this as a huge defeat for the larger states and believes the problems this compromise created are still present today.
             The Great Compromise was the turning point of the Convention. It gave security to the smaller states so they instantly favored greater federal powers and brought the South's insecurities to the forefront. After the compromise the South was no longer defending its power as a large state, but instead defended its power as a slave-holding state.


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