This answer key outlines how the Great Compromise blended the Virginia and New Jersey Plans to create a bicameral legislature.

You’re looking at a graphic organizer titled “The Great Compromise,” which asks you to combine the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan to create a new plan — the Great Compromise (also known as the Connecticut Compromise).

Let’s break it down step by step using the information provided in the image.

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🔍 Step 1: Understand the Virginia Plan

From the image:

> Virginia Plan
> - States with large populations favored this plan.
> - Representation should be based on population.
> - The House of Representatives is based on this plan.
> - The central would import this plan.

✔ Key idea: Proportional representation — bigger states get more representatives because they have more people.

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🔍 Step 2: Understand the New Jersey Plan

From the image:

> New Jersey Plan
> - States with smaller populations favored this plan.
> - Representation should be based on equality (one state, one vote).
> - The Senate is based on this plan.
> - Based on this plan, every state would have the same number of representatives.

✔ Key idea: Equal representation — every state gets the same number of votes, regardless of size. Favored by small states.

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🧩 Step 3: Combine the Two Plans → The Great Compromise

Now, we combine these two opposing ideas into a single solution that satisfied both big and small states.

#### ✔ What the Great Compromise Created:

> The Great Compromise
> - Combined the Virginia and New Jersey Plans.
> - Two Houses of Congress:
> - House of Representatives: Based on population (from Virginia Plan) → larger states have more reps.
> - Senate: Based on equal representation (from New Jersey Plan) → each state gets 2 senators, no matter its size.
> - Created a bicameral Congress (two chambers).
> - Bigger states mostly liked this plan (they still got more power in the House).
> - Smaller states mostly liked this plan (they got equal power in the Senate).
> - Created a House of Representatives and a Senate.
> - Solve the issue of how states would be represented in Congress → by splitting it into two houses with different rules.

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📝 Final Answer (Completed Graphic Organizer):

> The Great Compromise
> - Combined the Virginia and New Jersey Plans.
> - Two Houses of Congress:
> - House of Representatives – based on population (Virginia Plan)
> - Senate – equal representation for each state (New Jersey Plan)
> - Created a bicameral Congress.
> - Bigger states mostly liked this plan.
> - Smaller states mostly liked this plan.
> - Created a House of Representatives and a Senate.
> - Solved the issue of how states would be represented in Congress → by creating two chambers with different representation rules.

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💡 Why It Matters:

This compromise was essential to getting the U.S. Constitution ratified. Without it, small states might have refused to join the Union, fearing domination by large states. The Great Compromise balanced power between large and small states — and that’s why the U.S. Congress still works this way today!

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✔ You’ve now completed the graphic organizer correctly! Let me know if you’d like a visual version or further explanation.