Roger Sherman was an American statesman and Founding Father who played a key role in the development of the Great Compromise during the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a deal reached between the small states and the large states at the Constitutional Convention to address the issue of representation in the new federal government. The small states wanted each state to have an equal number of representatives in the national legislature, while the large states wanted representation to be based on population.
Sherman, who was a delegate from Connecticut, proposed a solution that became known as the "Sherman Plan." This plan called for a bicameral (two-chamber) legislative branch, with one chamber (the House of Representatives) being based on population and the other (the Senate) being based on equal representation for each state. This compromise allowed both the small states and the large states to get something they wanted, and it was eventually adopted as part of the United States Constitution.
Sherman's role in the Great Compromise was significant because it helped to resolve a major point of contention between the different states and allowed the Constitution to be ratified. Without his compromise, it is possible that the Constitution would not have been adopted, and the United States may not have developed into the country it is today.