Final answer:
The Great Compromise was important because it created a bicameral legislature that balanced the desires of both small and large states, ensuring all could accept the new Constitution and maintaining unity within the United States. The correct answer is option b.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Importance of the Great Compromise
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was crucial in shaping the United States' legislative structure. After heavy debate between the larger and smaller states at the Constitutional Convention, the Great Compromise offered a dual system of congressional representation. In the Senate, each state would have two senators, thus pleasing smaller states. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives would feature proportional representation, satisfying the demands of larger states. The compromise was necessary to gain the support of delegates from different states, ensuring that the new Constitution would be accepted by all.
Leading figures such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison recognized that reaching a compromise was critical for the future of the republic. The contentious debates around representation and slavery, especially seen through the lens of other compromises like the Missouri Compromise, highlighted the need for a resolution that could maintain unity and balance within the newly formed nation. The final agreement on the Great Compromise played a pivotal role in retaining a federal character in the Constitution while appeasing both large and small states.
The answer to the question, "Why was the Great Compromise so important?", is option B: it created a legislative system everyone could accept. It was not just a popular plan, nor did it resolve the slavery debate at that time; its significance lies in its role in creating a foundational structure that would allow for a functioning and unified United States government.