The Joyful Blend of the Great Compromise

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, successfully merged aspects of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan to create the foundation for the United States Constitution's legislative structure.

The Virginia Plan, also called the "large state plan", suggested a bicameral legislature with representation based on population, which would benefit larger states. In contrast, the New Jersey Plan proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation for all states, regardless of size, which was more advantageous to smaller states.

The Great Compromise resolved this by creating a two-chambered Congress, consisting of the Senate with equal representation (two senators per state) as per the New Jersey Plan and the House of Representatives with representation based on population as per the Virginia Plan.