America 250 Moments
Connecticut Compromise
6/25/2026 | 1mVideo has Closed Captions
Before there was a “President of the United States" or a “U.S. Congress,” how did America wage war.
Before there was a “President of the United States" or a “U.S. Congress,” how did America wage war.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
America 250 Moments is a local public television program presented by APT
America 250 Moments
Connecticut Compromise
6/25/2026 | 1mVideo has Closed Captions
Before there was a “President of the United States" or a “U.S. Congress,” how did America wage war.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship("Yankee Doodle" plays) [Narrator] How did a compromise create a form of government the world had never seen before?
The Connecticut Compromise was a proposal orchestrated by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth in the summer of 1787.
During the Constitutional Convention the framers of the Constitution had reached a stalemate.
Delegates from larger states argued they deserved more representation based on their large populations and greater contributions to the nation's Treasury.
While smaller states argued for equal representation.
To solve this problem, Sherman suggested a hybrid system that could accommodate both.
In the House, states would be assigned seats based on population, and in the Senate, all states would have the same number, which would offer checks and balances for the national government.
This compromise would later pave the way for the addition of the electoral college and created a unique form of government known as a federal government.
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America 250 Moments is a local public television program presented by APT