Final answer:
The Great Compromise resolved a critical issue at the Constitutional Convention by establishing a bicameral legislature, balancing the interests of large and small states. It combined aspects of the Virginia and New Jersey Plans and was supplemented by the Three-Fifths Compromise for representation and taxation purposes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a pivotal agreement during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that shaped the legislative structure of the United States. The dilemma at the convention was how to balance the interests of large and small states in the new federal government. Large states wanted representation based on population, while small states demanded equal representation.
The solution, spearheaded by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, proposed a bicameral legislature. This included the House of Representatives, with representation based on state population, satisfying the larger states, and the Senate, with two representatives from each state, addressing the concerns of smaller states. This compromise was significant as it combined elements from both the Virginia Plan (favoring large states) and the New Jersey Plan (favoring small states), thus preserving the federal structure by giving equal representation to states in the Senate while also reflecting the principle of popular sovereignty in the House.
Along with the Great Compromise, the Three-Fifths Compromise was also reached, which affected representation by counting three-fifths of the slave population for both taxation and representation. These two compromises were crucial in the creation and ratification of the U.S. Constitution, allowing diverse states to unite under a common federal government with sufficient powers to handle foreign commerce and other national matters.